Land earmarked for at least 80 new homes
At least 80 new homes have been earmarked for land on the Stafford borough border as part of South Staffordshire Council’s latest proposals for future development of the district.
Land at Weeping Cross, which is on the edge of South Staffordshire District, has been allocated in “urban extensions to neighbouring towns” in the authority’s latest proposed Local Plan, which covers the years up to 2041. The 3.85-hectare (9.51 acre) site is described as having a “minimum capacity” for 81 homes.
A previous version of the new Local Plan identified farmland off Cannock Road as a potential site for more than 160 new homes, sparking objections from Stafford borough councillors. The latest proposals, which are out for public consultation until Friday, May 31, have also raised concerns.
Councillor Jenny Barron, who represents the Weeping Cross and Wildwood ward, said: “I am extremely disappointed that the controlling Conservative group of South Staffordshire Council voted to pass their 2024 local plan review at full council. This has made the task of objecting to this proposed development of houses on the A34/Acton Lane on highly productive agricultural land much more difficult.
“It came as a great surprise because the same councillors voted unanimously against this development a few years ago. The South Staffordshire Local Plan Review, states that all local authorities have a duty to co-operate with other authorities that border their developments.
“This proposed development is totally unsuitable for this location as it relies on all its local services, ie, doctors, schools, local services would become the responsibility of Stafford Borough Council. The proximity of this development to the already extremely large Wildwood estate would create huge highway issues.
“As far as I am aware there has been little or no engagement consecutively or activity with Stafford Borough Council regarding this development.”
Stafford Borough Council called for South Staffordshire Council to “de-allocate” the proposed housing site at Cannock Road in 2021. Alex Yendole, the borough council’s Strategic Planning and Placemaking Manager, told councillors at the time that the authority had sent “quite a robust response to South Staffs about concerns regarding that land.”
The previous version of South Staffordshire District’s latest Local Plan was put on hold as a result of a national shake-up of planning policy. The day before the 2022 consultation was due to end, the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC) published a consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework which included major changes to green belt policy, which set out that green belt boundaries would not need to be reviewed if this was the only way of meeting housing needs.
The latest Local Plan includes around 6,000 fewer new homes and far less reliance on using green belt land. This time the target is to build 4,086 new homes in the district during the plan period and the proposed contribution to unmet needs of the Greater Birmingham Housing Market Area has been cut from 4,000 to 640 homes.
Consultation events are being held online and at in-person events across South Staffordshire this month. For more information visit sstaffs.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/local-plan-review.