Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040

What are Proposed Housing Allocations & Settlement Boundaries?

The following map, appears on page 166 of the Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040 - Preferred Options (18.4MB):

The Proposed Housing Allocation (PHA) sites (shown in pink), are located outside the existing settlement boundary (red line). This agricultural land has been offered by its owners, for development and Stafford Borough Council have stated their intention to build on it, subject to planning permission being granted.

The PHAs of most interest to Aston Lodge residents are: STO13 and STO16:

• STO13 - borders our estate on the eastern edge, but doesn't include the Blackies Lane field, (commonly referred to as the Grassy Patch)... there is a proposal to build 131 houses on this site.
• STO16 - is located below our estate, bordered by the railway to the west, the track to Little Stoke Farm to the east, and existing housing on Uttoxeter Road to the north... there is a proposal to build 97 houses on this site.

Why haven't the Settlement Boundaries been extended to include the PHAs?

Stafford Borough Council, don't want to extend the boundaries to include PHAs, because some of these sites may not be needed, or planning permission may be refused.  It is possible, that demand for additional housing can be met within the settlement boundaries e.g., by building houses on the old ABB site (between Oulton Road and Longton Road), or with totally new large-scale developments, such as Meecebrook (the proposed 'Garden Village').

Why do we need all these PHAs, if Meecebrook goes ahead as planned?

Stafford Borough Council state, that 3000 houses will be built in the proposed new 'Garden Village', within the current Local Plan period (2020-2040), if it is approved.  However, this development alone, will not provide enough houses to meet the projected demand for housing in the borough (as required by the government).

The PHAs are therefore potential sites for additional housing development.  Stone is required to build a proportion of the borough's total requirement... and so, further development is inevitable (with a limited number of options).

The proposed new 'Garden Village' development is intended to provide 6000 houses in the borough by approximately 2050... this means that Meecebrook is likely to become almost the size of Stone.  In order to make this possible, totally new infrastructure is required, including:

• A new railway station.
• New roads, sewers and drains.
• New energy and water supplies, plus telecoms (mobile and broadband).
• New schools, postboxes, shops, medical centres etc.

Note: No new infrastructure or services are planned for Stone (to support any additional housing).

How likely is it, that houses will be built in the fields above Oakleigh Court?

Stafford Borough Council fully intend to move forward with this plan, although it will need planning permission of course.  Stafford Borough Council will not wait for decisions on the new 'Garden Village', or housing on the old ABB site, if planning applications are submitted for the STO13 and STO16 sites.

If planning applications are approved, it would clearly exacerbate the existing problem of traffic build-up, on the approach to the level crossing and traffic lights (particularly at busy times of the day).  Although improvements to the level crossing would be required (potentially, a new surface and safety cameras), this would do nothing to ease congestion on the B5027.  Other factors include:

• Increased flood risk, due to a build-up of runoff water at the bottom of Saddler Avenue - there have been historical flooding issues, where two streams converge on the Grassy Patch (to the west of STO13).
• Lack of supporting infrastructure (e.g., sewers and drains).
• Insufficient school places.
• Insufficient GP surgeries and dental practices.
• Poor pedestrian access, from Lichfield Road, particularly for people with mobility issues:
  • Via the level crossing, from the traffic lights - a single footway (narrow in places), so with increased traffic, crossing the B5027 would become even more difficult.
  • Via Pingle Lane - a steep, unsurfaced road, with no separate footway, or street lighting, and frequently used by farm vehicles.

For the above reasons, we believe that large scale development on the STO13 site, is inappropriate.  We also feel that Meecebrook Garden Village is a preferred option, because it will come with purpose-built infrastructure, schools and medical services.

You are invited to give your feedback on the Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040 - Preferred Options, by completing the survey*.  You may find this guidance document helpful.

Stone Town Council submitted a response to Stafford Borough Council, regarding the overall plan for Stone and its impact on the whole town.  This is summarised in this article, published in the Staffordshire Newsletter.

*Please note: The survey closed on 12^th December 2022.