Controversial holiday lodges in Staffordshire set for approval - here's where the development is planned, including a clubhouse

The proposals for Woodhead Hall, near Cheadle, would see six lodges and a clubhouse build in a field near the Grade II listed building, off Cherry Lane.

More than 30 residents have objected to the plans, claiming local roads cannot take any more traffic and raising concerns over noise, anti-social behaviour and ‘the desecration of a place of natural beauty’. But planning officers at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have recommended the scheme for approval, saying the benefits of new tourist accommodation in the Churnet Valley will outweigh any harm.

Members of the planning applications committee will consider the proposals when they meet on Thursday (Dec 11). According to the officers’ report, applicant Woodhead Hall Estates originally proposed a development of 12 holiday lodges across two fields next to the fishing pond.

But the plans were subsequently amended to exclude the field nearest the hall, and reduce the scheme to six lodges and a clubhouse for the angling club. Each of the one-bedroom lodges would have its own private outdoor patio with timber decking, and there would be 11 parking spaces on the site.

A total of 34 objections have been submitted to the district council, while five people have written in support of the scheme.

Objector Neil Alkins, who lives near the site, raised concerns over the impact on wildlife and local roads. In his letter, he states: “The impact of these ‘lodges’ (small houses more like) will not in any way help the wildlife but they will certainly hinder it. The effect on the rare bird species that inhabit this area can only be negative with permanent human traffic present.

“Cherry Lane can not cope with additional volume. It is narrow, poorly maintained, and the access to Oakamoor Road is someone’s death waiting to happen.”

But supporter Peter Hanes, from Cheadle, described the plans as a ‘stunning scheme’ that would bring more business and tourism to the area.

Highways officers initially requested further information from the applicants due to the likely increase in traffic at the junction between Cherry Lane and Oakamoor Road But after the plans were scaled back, officers decided the development is ‘unlikely to have a severe effect on the highway’.

Officers similarly state that the potential for noise nuisance, and the impact on the listed building, have both been reduced as a result of the amendments. The report to the committee also says that the potential impact on local wildlife such as amphibians, badgers and bats, can be addressed through conditions.

The report states: “The amended scheme satisfies many of the key tests in particular in terms of heritage, design, living conditions for neighbours, ecology and highways.

“Overall, the benefit of providing visitor accommodation in the Churnet Valley area that also provides a benefit to the existing angling club through the provision of a much needed clubhouse, would outweigh any harm. The proposal accords with the development plan as a whole and a recommendation of approval is made.”