More housing, who needs the countryside anyway ?

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
Plan for 2,000 homes, health center and three schools in Stafford set for green light
By Jordan Reynolds | Stafford | News | Published: 2 hours ago

A major plan for 2,000 homes, a health center and three schools in Stafford is set for the green light.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

GKJPPE57QFG6DD5EZEOQDVFTDQ.jpg

An aerial view of the site. Photo: Pegasus Design
The outline planning application for land north of Beaconside by Maximus Strategic Stafford LLP has been recommended for approval subject to conditions by council officers when it goes before the committee on Tuesday.

The plan also includes two local centers which would provide up to 4,500 sq m of shops, businesses and restaurants, an elderly living facility for up to 60 beds, green infrastructure and highways works.

Demolition of the existing buildings and structures – with the exception of new buildings, the farm, farmhouse, selected brick outbuildings and a cottage – is included in the plans.

The application says there would be a mixture of one, two, three and four bedroom houses, of which 600 would be affordable.

In the plans it says: "The land north of Beaconside specifically will deliver a new neighbourhood including two local centers, a health center and care home, a secondary school and a primary school and large areas of open space, including a ‘destination park’ with formal and informal facilities.

"The aim is to create a development for the 21st century, which respects the character of the county town, surrounding villages and the application site’s rural edge setting.

"The development can shift Stafford towards a more sustainable future through improved public transport and a focus on walking and cycling.

"Development will accord with the principles of high quality design and best practice to create a townscape that is rich, varied and sympathetic to its environment.

"The aim is to achieve a high quality development with a strong identity, activity and a strong ‘sense of place’ whilst also not prejudicing any future proposals for the surrounding allocated site."

Councillor Frances Beatty, ward member for Milwich, called in the application and said it was "disheartening" that so much of the information about the plans will be left until the reserved matters application when the council approves the finer details.

She said: "The outline application should include all the areas requiring planning and design.

"To review proposals for primary access roads, proposed junctions and site access points.


"To review the drainage strategy in the light of Staffordshire County Council reservations.

"To require specifically the provisions of community sports facilities to be included in plans for the secondary school.

"To review the cycle route provision."


The site covers an area of about 143 hectares and is located to the north of Stafford, about 3km from the town centre.

The site is to the east of Marston Lane, and north of the A513, with Sandon Road running between the two parcels of the site.

The site is currently mostly agricultural fields.

The planning committee will discuss the application on Tuesday at 11am.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
We have been aware of this sometime and new news.

Government want housing and they will get it.

At least this is not an area used really by the public with hoards of trees. It is just green land that is mud alot of the year. If there is place to build so many houses, this is it (compared to burleyfields and castlefields).
 

markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
This isn't new news. This housing development is part of the housing allocation at Beaconside that was included in the adopted Local Plan.

Councils are required to meet their housing requirements, if they don't they are powerless to stop speculative developments happening on less preferable sites.

A plan led system is better than a developer led system.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
In the early days of both "plans", overlaying the contemporary maps showed it running through a "new primary school".
 

basil

don't mention the blinds
Well the countryside is ideally placed for the new inhabitants when they move in......
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Should bring traffic on Beaconside to a stand still - EDR my arxx
The Planning Committee report does state that the developers will be paying towards/for the widening of Beaconside, plus other road improvements, but is a bit vague as to exactly what that means. However, the current development, north of Parkside, is paying to have the first section of Beaconside upgraded to a dual carriageway, so it may well be that we end up with the whole of Beaconside dualled.

It means you'll be able to reach those traffic jams, at either end, a bit quicker.
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
For those of us that don’t regularly familiarise themselves with maps of Stafford, that area is just above the MOD and Tollgate Industrial Estate

At least this one is going to put in schools and other facilities. Most of the other developments seem to stay under a threshold where they’d need to add anything but houses...

The Planning Committee report does state that the developers will be paying towards/for the widening of Beaconside, plus other road improvements, but is a bit vague as to exactly what that means. However, the current development, north of Parkside, is paying to have the first section of Beaconside upgraded to a dual carriageway, so it may well be that we end up with the whole of Beaconside dualled.

It means you'll be able to reach those traffic jams, at either end, a bit quicker.

Are we counting all the way up to Weston Road as Beaconside?

I honestly cannot see how they’ll make the road wider near Weston Road, there’s not really enough space for it...
 
Last edited:

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
At least this one is going to put in schools and other facilities. Most of the other developments seem to stay under a threshold where they’d need to add anything but houses...

Agreeing with @Cue here.
There are indeed adding schools, shops and a doctors surgery.

Unlike many other developments who build the houses but don’t put any other infrastructure in place.
Example, hundreds of houses on the Bellway development (old police headquarters) in an area where already you can’t get a doctors appointment and the schools are over subscribed.
 

markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
Agreeing with @Cue here.
There are indeed adding schools, shops and a doctors surgery.

Unlike many other developments who build the houses but don’t put any other infrastructure in place.
Example, hundreds of houses on the Bellway development (old police headquarters) in an area where already you can’t get a doctors appointment and the schools are over subscribed.

All developers are required to make a financial contribution and / or on site provision in accordance with planning policy and if there a need for additional infrastructure.

If SCC Education Dept. can demonstrate that the new development will generate a need beyond the existing school capacity they will be required to fund additional school places.

SCC Education Dept. are very good at requesting contributors towards schools, even when its not always justified.

A similar exercise happens for the local medical facilities, however (sadly) it's not as well co-ordinated and therefore many practices don't get the money they should.
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
A similar exercise happens for the local medical facilities, however (sadly) it's not as well co-ordinated and therefore many practices don't get the money they should.

Yes exactly and there lies the problem.
It’s massively wrong in this day and age that people should have to wait for up to six weeks for a routine doctors appointment.

But houses are being built on a huge scale, and I repeat, no doctors surgery’s to fill the much needed gap.
 
Top