Plans for 365 new homes on Stafford's former GEC/Alstom site
More than 360 new homes are planned for a former industrial site near Stafford town centre.
Developer St Modwen revealed plans to redevelop the GEC/Alstom site off Lichfield Road in November 2019 – just months after securing planning permission for up to 430 homes on the old Areva site off nearby Fairway.
Now a planning application for the land off Lichfield Road has been submitted to Stafford Borough Council.
St Modwen is seeking permission to demolish and clear existing buildings on the 12.46 hectare (30.8 acre) site and replace them with up to 365 homes.
A planning statement submitted as part of the application said: “The site was previously in employment use but has now been vacated. It represents a disused brownfield resource embedded in the urban area, well related to the town centre. It is ideally placed to accommodate residential development.
“Whilst the development would result in the loss of an employment site, the scale of loss is not significant and there remains a good supply of better located and viable employment sites elsewhere in the borough. The context of the site has changed following recent planning permissions and developments, and a residential use is more appropriate in land use planning terms given the site’s predominantly residential context.
“The previous occupier of the site has consolidated their operation within Stafford and so the business will not be lost to the area. The nature of the accommodation left behind on the site is such that it is not best suited to reoccupation by a different business, and redevelopment will ensure best use is made of this important brownfield resource.
“The proposals provide for a sustainable development of housing, including family housing which will assist in meeting local housing need and will boost supply.”
Councillor Chris Baron has called the application in for consideration by Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee on the grounds of “over intensification of the site”.
Nearby residents have raised concerns over how the new development could affect the town’s roads and other services
Impact
An Old Rickerscote Lane resident said they were “overall in support of developing an eyesore of the old GEC site".
But they added: “The traffic from another 300+ homes coming out on to Lichfield Road at the proposed point will only lead to more congestion unless the roads are changed to support this. Traffic down the A34 into and out of town at key times is troublesome at rush hours.”
A Christopher Terrace resident raised concerns about the capacity of local schools. They added: “I seriously object to the development of houses on this site. There is adequate housing supply in Stafford to cope with current and proposed demand.
"This proposed site for houses will have a significant impact on highways. The Lichfield Road, no matter where your exits are situated, is gridlocked at peak times and when there is a diversion from M6 tailbacks to Wildwood and Baswich, Silkmore Lane and Wolverhampton Road.
“Building on this site could have the potential to have serious knock-on effect to businesses and workplaces within the town centre as many will choose not to shop in the town due to traffic jams. What is the policy to prevent the loss of this site for employment?
“Will the site be taking services from Victorian sewer systems?"
A Lichfield Road resident said: “This is for a very large number of homes bounding one of the busiest roads in Stafford – Lichfield Road, the A34. It is essential that strict conditions ensure that there is only emergency access onto the A34 from this estate.
“The present factory entrance at the beginning of the railway bridge is in a very dangerous spot with poor visibility. The ideal and safest situation would be an access further along the Lichfield Road in the direction of the town centre.
“On the plans we have seen, certain trees next to Lichfield Road have been retained which is good. But there appears to be relatively little green space on the plans.
“It would make a lot of sense in environmental terms to plant more trees alongside those already on the Lichfield Road to form a belt which would help to absorb pollution and noise as well as providing a green amenity space of a sufficient size as to render it useful for purposes of recreation. This would be of far more benefit than small green spaces of limited value for outdoor recreation.”
