A public consultation is now open on plans for over 500 homes, a new first school, and major improvements to the Walton roundabout, one of the busiest and most talked-about junctions in Stone.
Bloor Homes has launched the consultation ahead of a formal planning application, inviting residents to comment before Wednesday, 16th July 2025. The plans form part of a trio of neighbouring housing proposals in Walton, which together could bring more than 880 new homes to the edge of the town.
While none of the three schemes have reached the planning application stage, the scale of what’s being considered has already prompted strong local interest and debate.
A new school and a new neighbourhood
The Bloor Homes proposal is for a landscape-led development of up to 515 homes on greenfield land north of Eccleshall Road, immediately west of the Udall Grange estate.
The plans include:
- A new first school for the growing west side of Stone
- 40% affordable housing, in a mix of social rent and shared ownership
- The potential for older people’s housing designed for independent living
- Large areas of public open space, orchards and play areas
- A net zero carbon-ready design with solar panels, air source heat pumps and EV chargers in every home
The school would be delivered in agreement with the local education authority, which will determine the trigger point for its construction based on need and population growth.
Focus on the Walton roundabout
One of the headline elements of the plan is a major engineering upgrade to Walton roundabout. Forecasts suggest the junction will exceed capacity by 2031, even without any new development.
The proposed upgrades would:
- Increase capacity and flow through the junction
- Add signal-controlled crossings for pedestrians and cyclists
- Improve safety and reduce congestion for all road users
Two new ghost-island junctions are also planned along Eccleshall Road to provide access to the development, supported by a 3.0m shared-use footpath and cycleway.
“A town at a tipping point”
Bloor’s site, previously known as STO14 in the withdrawn Local Plan, is one of three neighbouring proposals in Walton. Together, they represent a combined 880+ homes being considered for this side of Stone.
In an article we published in March 2025, local reaction came in fast. One Facebook commenter said,
“Stone is already full. GP surgeries, roads and schools can’t cope now, never mind with another 500 houses.”
Another added,
“It’s not the homes, it’s the infrastructure that’s missing. If they build the school and fix the roads first, maybe it could work.”
The consultation now underway aims to give residents the opportunity to influence the design and delivery of these proposals, before any outline planning application is submitted.
No application yet – have your say
It’s important to note that no formal planning application has been submitted at this stage. This is a voluntary consultation, ahead of Bloor’s planned submission to Stafford Borough Council later in the summer.
Residents are encouraged to view the masterplan and give their feedback at:
www.bloorhomesstone.com
Deadline: Wednesday 16th July 2025
Max Whitehead, Planning Director at Bloor Homes has said:
“We are pleased to be able to present our emerging plans for a landscape-led new neighbourhood of high-quality homes, new school and outdoor recreational facilities in Stone. The views of local people will help shape a neighbourhood that provides a housing mix and outdoor recreational facilities that meet the needs of the town.”
“We are also keen to hear from local people on our plans to ensure that the Walton roundabout can meet the future needs of the town.
Our plans to invest in a programme of engineering works will significantly increase capacity and flow at the roundabout, meaning that the roundabout will operate better that it currently does, even taking into account future development.
We hope as many people as possible will have an opportunity to visit our consultation website over the coming weeks.”
ALBOS will continue to follow the story and provide updates as each of the three Walton proposals progresses.
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11 comments
Rachel Hargrave
Bloor, Richborough and Taylor Wimpey are pushing for over 900 houses around Walton alone, while Stafford Borough Council still hasn’t delivered a working local plan, despite spending a fortune and failing once already. Developers are exploiting this vacuum to bulldoze through proposals, knowing full well that local infrastructure can’t cope.
We’re being promised a “new school” that hinges on vague timing thresholds, with no real accountability. Meanwhile, our existing first schools, middle schools and high schools are already stretched to breaking point.
Medical services? GP appointments already take weeks, and for many, NHS dentists are non-existent. How will 2,000+ extra residents register with practices that are already overwhelmed?
Let’s not forget the ongoing traffic nightmare caused by the Creswell roundabout works, and now we’re told Walton’s roundabout will suffer the same fate, just to accommodate extra volume that no one asked for.
A tree-lined path and a few “sweeteners” won’t fix this. The public knows it. The MP knows it. The residents know it. When will the council finally listen?
Caroline Turner
500 more Homes means potentially 1000 more cars using the Eccleshall road. Failing to see how the plans for traffic easing at Walton roundabout will deal with the extra volume of traffic. If we assume 4 people per household that’s 2000 more doctors registrations on a completely overwhelmed doctors . I also thought the extensive drainage work on Eccleshall road was supposed to stop the subway from flooding . Traffic lights will only slow down traffic and cause more congestion . There is also another proposal for another 140 houses off Marlborough road by another developer. These developments will just keep on coming and will put more pressure on roads Doctors and Dental services .
Doreen Martin
When we were looking to buy a new build we looked at the Bloor site in Penkridge. We were told it would be a small development of just 80 houses plus allotments. The result is a large development, no allotments and now Penkridge is sinking. Only 1 dentist and 1 doctor’s surgery. I don’t believe a word Bloor are telling us. To lose the subway would be a disaster for the less mobile who take time to cross a busy road.
Robert Jones
Bloom Homes are spelling out “sweeteners” to encourage positive comments. The timing of building of a new first school will be subject to a “trigger point” to be determined by the local authority, whatever that would mean in reality. Any additional building around Stone will produce further stress on first schools and our middle and senior schools. Further stresses will be felt on medical facilities and of course traffic flows. The prospect of a repeat of the endless work that has been going on at the Creswell roundabout being inflicted on Walton roundabout is terrifying. The delivery of affordable homes (whatever that really means these days) is so often watered down, in percentage terms, when plans are finally agreed with local authorities. Our local authority, Stafford Borough Council, has failed to deliver its local plan, despite spending a fortune on a failed attempt, and is about to start all over again. In the meantime developers are taking advantage of their tardiness and will no doubt push them to deliver the plans that they want, despite the views and wishes of local residents.
I fear that Bloor, Richborogh and Taylor Wimpy and their 900, or so, planned properties around Walton may well get their way. Stone will always need additional properties to serve existing and new residents, but scale, infrastructure and the views of residents must be respected.
Linda Smith
Do Bloor Homes think the residents of Stone are that naive. A new cycle/pedestrian pathway with a few trees here and there will sway Stone residents!! You only have to stand at the junctions of Pirehill Lane and Tilling Drive at School times to see the horrendous hold ups! 515 new homes with at least 1 car at each house equals a total disaster. You cannot get a GP appointment for at least 2 weeks now and dentists are a no go.
Has anyone thought about the sewage system? Will Bloor Homes upgrade Pirehill Sewage Works? I don’t think so. As soon as the Government announced “we are going to build thousands of new homes” everyone new it would be a disaster waiting to happen. The Council will not refuse planning permission because of all the Council Tax that will be coming their way, plus the fact that the Government can override the Council.
Mrs Lee Roberts
Besides all the very good comments above about the maxed out demands on our Doctors and Dentists. I don’t think the plan of the roundabout with traffic lights would greatly improve the situation of the queueing traffic at peak times on the B5026 Eccleshall Road. It is caused by volume of Traffic. There was not a major problem until Taylor Wimpey and Udall / Persimmon built all their houses. Now all the residents South of the Eccleshall Road, (Pirehill Lane) cannot exit their estate at Peak times when the traffic often backs up well past Common Lane. Meadow Way has become a Rat Run during the School run. Many of the cars are heading back to the Eccleshall road just to get out the queue at the bottom of Pirehill lane. Cars sit in traffic for so long they will not let others out and having lights at the end of this long queue will add to everyones frustration. The proposed plan does not show where the intended offering of a school will be located. The removal of the subway under the A34 will endanger local children who are often seen in the form of a walking bus using this facility during school hours. Are there going to be Traffic lights for residents of Cherry Fields to exit Stafford Road and turn right into Stone? Sadly this consultation is checking to see what the minimum requirements are to get planning approved. The A34 was Major Trunk road from Manchester to Southampton and in some places it is a very fast road, but in Stafford and Stone we have succeeded in slowing right down with the addition of 4 roundabouts and and these proposed traffic lights.
Rant Over
L-A Willett
There is not enough infrastructure in place in our beautiful canal town, to support all this proposed housing.
The Eccleshall Road will not cope with the additional traffic, and the two GP Surgeries in the town will be overwhelmed with a huge influx of new patients, making the situation of getting appointments even worse than it already is. Not to mention Dentists.
Gavin Miller
With all the houses that side of town it could do with a link road from the Eccleshall Road to Brooms Road on the industrial estate.
John Farnell
What about doctors dentist as well as the schools and the extra traffic
Peter Oakley
Isn’t our small canal town already at capacity for its facilities and infrastructure. Piling on more houses will make for an unpleasant environment beset by traffic problems, medical facilities and a sense of overpowerment.
Isn’t the ‘proposed village’ sufficient enough!
Doreen Martin
When we bought our home in Udall Grange we were told there would be no further developments. Presumably this information came from SCC. We bought because we were on the edge of the countryside. This proposed development would change that completely.
Will Bloor homes guarantee that all social housing is for local people?