PRESS RELEASE – Stone Town Council Response to Stafford Borough Local Plan Consultation
PRESS RELEASE
Stone Town Council Response to Stafford Borough Local Plan Consultation
Stone Town Council has responded to Stafford Borough’s plans for the Stone area, as set out in the Local Plan Preferred Options Consultation document.
The Town Council considers that Stone does not have the infrastructure of doctors, dentists, roads, schools or other vital services to support the amount of new housing proposed for the area by Stafford Borough, and is seeking assurances that these vital improvements would be put in place before any new house building is approved.
The proposed development in Walton (Marlborough Road) has been specifically opposed by the Town Council due to the amount of development that has already taken place in the Walton area, and the problems that would be caused for residents by works traffic movements through existing residential areas at the same time as Pirehill Lane is being used for HS2 construction traffic. The potential level of pollution and the damage to the environment by congested traffic is of particular concern – especially with 3 schools and 3 nurseries in the area.
The Town Council believes that the proposed developments on Uttoxeter Road and East of Oakleigh Court will exacerbate the existing delays caused by the railway level crossing on Uttoxeter Road and create increased queueing of commuter traffic peak times.
An independent traffic assessment should be undertaken related to these three developments before any housing allocations to these areas are approved.
The current application for 130 new homes on Oulton Road has not been taken into account in calculation of the housing allocation to Stone. The Town Council have proposed that if this is passed, at least one of the housing proposals in the consultation document should be removed.
The full text of the Town Council’s consultation response can be viewed by clicking this link:
Response to the Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040 Preferred Options Consultation
Councillor Rob Kenney, Chairman of the Council’s General Purposes Committee said “The Town Council believes that there are serious flaws in Stafford Borough Council’s proposals for our area, which would lead to over-intensive development, particularly in Walton, and increased traffic congestion with increased pollution as a result. The Council’s response to the local plan preferred options consultation sets this out, and we hope that Stafford Borough take on these points when finalising their plans.”
ENDS
30th November 2022
Les Trigg
Town Clerk
Stone Town Council
Telephone: 01785-619740
