Feature in a Landscape

One of the most important things about Blacka is the way its appeal is enhanced by its position in the surrounding landscape. The greener parts of this landscape could turn out to become a battleground of conflicting interests in years to come. We may think it's hard enough to defend what's best about Blacka itself, struggling to get through to some of the dim witted folk who are determined to 'manage' the site in their own unimaginative off-the-shelf way, people like SWT and Sheffield City Council and (Un)Natural England. And even CPRE sometimes seem to have lost their instinct for what is valuable these days. But this fight will be nothing compared to that against the vested interests who would like to get their hands on the green fields.

Already architectural monstrosities of scale and style are changing the character of the view over previously inoffensive suburbs to the east of Blacka just in the last few years. And these have not only been private developers. Public contracts such as that for King Ecgbert School have plonked huge insensitively designed monolithic structures in the middle of the view.