Plan may be sunk by newts

Residents opposing the development of an "eyesore" warehouse in Stafford are pinning their hopes on rare newts scuppering the developers' plans.

Plans have been lodged for a further two large units at the Primepoint 14 business park close to junction 14 of the M6.

But environmentalists have lodged a formal objection because it would mean uprooting a habitat of Great Crested Newts – which are protected species.

Creswell residents living close to the site have already expressed their anger and say one of the two proposed buildings will be an "eyesore" and "totally dominate the skyline".

The parish council is also lodging an objection against the proposal on the grounds of visual intrusion; loss of wildlife; loss of open space; and the detrimental effect they say the development will have on the nearby 'Sleepers Spinney' plot of trees.

The largest warehouse currently on the site – set to be leased to Screwfix – is 15 metres high but five metres are beneath ground level. The new unit would be 4.6 metres taller with no plans for any of it to be underground.

Creswell parish councillor Richard Thomas said the unit, proposed for the back of the site next to the A34, will stand far too high on the current landscape. He says even newly submitted amended plans do not address the height and he is urging the borough council to refuse it. However he says because the building meets planning regulations – as it is below 15 metres high – the development control committee would need other grounds for refusal.

He said: "The other issue relates to a habitat of Great Crested Newts at a pond which would have to be dug out and moved for this development to go ahead. The government environmental agency Natural England is unhappy at the proposal and is lodging a formal complaint."