Inglewood Investment Company Limited is seeking permission for up to 81 homes on land east of Old Road in Barlaston.
A previous application for 42 affordable homes was refused permission by Stafford Borough Council in 2022. The authority said it had not been demonstrated that a need existed for the development in that location and “by reason of its excessive size and scale” it was “not considered to fall under the definition of a rural exception site”.
The latest proposals include around 50% affordable housing, as well as 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres) of public open space and a new vehicle access point off Old Road. A design and access statement submitted as part of the application said: “At present, the site is greenfield and is used as grazing land.
“The proposed development of the site will contribute to the expansion of Barlaston, but will not extend development beyond the existing western or northern extremities associated with the developed edge of the settlement. It is considered that the site has an existing relationship with the developed edge of Barlaston and the residential areas surrounding the site to the south.
“On balance the proposed development will, whilst wholly replacing portions of the landscape character at the site level, sit within the existing retained landscape character elements at the site level and the landscape character at the regional and district level. The proposed development of this land forms a logical expansion to the settlement and is visually well contained.
“Access to the site will be granted by a single entrance off Old Road. The development of the site will also increase accessibility between Old Road and the Trent and Mersey Canal with its associated active travel route by providing a direct link between the two.”
Barlaston councillor Gareth Jones has called in the application for consideration by the planning committee. He said it would involve development outside the approved Barlaston Plan area, as well as development within the Green Belt.
A Brookhouse Drive resident who has objected to the proposals said: “The developer refers to it as “Grey Belt”, but this is not a recognised planning category. The proposal is inappropriate development, harmful by definition, and cannot be justified without proven very special circumstances.
“The scheme proposes 81 homes – nearly double the 42 previously refused in 2021. It would significantly damage the openness of the countryside and overwhelm the rural character of Barlaston, creating urban sprawl.
“Local services such as schools, GP surgeries, and parking are already stretched. This development would place additional unsustainable pressure on them.
“Old Road is a narrow lane, unsuitable for the volume of traffic generated by 81 new homes. This raises serious highway safety concerns for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.”
5 comments
Anthony wagg
The area is greenbelt and the new dwellings would put too traffic on the local roads causing risk to safety and spoiling t
Simon Hall
Where exactly do 81 houses, with just an average of 3 people in them plus cars etc go exactly.
Schools, Doctors, Dentists to name just three areas of needs, how does a small village support this proposal, easily, it does NOT
Pam Greatbatch
We agree with everything in this document.
We don’t mind new houses BUT infrastructure has to be built first.
Neil
We live on the top of Barlaston Rd and are facing the prospect of 3000 new homes. Don’t forget you’ll be getting new homes at Trentham Golg Club also. Green Belt means nothing now and we’ll never get it back… cant wait for the Tree museum.
Ian Muir-Howie
If the previous development for 42 affordable homes was refused, how on earth is the new scheme for 81 homes justified. Old Road is a narrow lane and is unable to cope with any increase of vehicle movements. This size of development would lead to at least two cars per property and the impact would be horrendous. As for the local schools, GP surgery and parking is already a problem. This would just compound the issues. Barlaston doesn’t need this size of
development, which would turn it into a commuter satellite zone for Stafford and Stoke -on- Trent. The quickest route to the A34, giving access for Stafford to the south and Stoke-on-Trent to the north is Tittensor Road, which is a very narrow lane leading to the A34 dual carriage way with a very bad junction. This potentially would become a very serious accident black spot. A scheme of this size cannot be justified for Barlaston. Developers only have one thought in mind. How many houses can we build on a site to maximise the profits. The thoughts and wishes are totally overlooked by not only the developers, who don’t live in Barlaston to enjoy the chaos and mayhem that they will inflict on the other residents, but also the Borough Council, whose only thought are to meet the Governments demand to increase house building. It’s not just a case of Barlaston not wanting more housing, it’s a case of much smaller developments of bungalows and affordable housing on relation to the size of Barlaston. I can only hope that common sense, which is in short supply, will win over the day.