A consultation is under way on the second part of Stafford Borough Council’s Local Plan, which sets proposed boundaries for new housing, employment and retail development in the borough.
In Stone, one of the proposals is to extend the town centre boundary to include the ‘developed’ part of Westbridge Park – the leisure centre, tennis courts and car park areas.
Part of this area is where the borough council wants to sell land for a food store to partly fund new play facilities and a new leisure centre. As part of the Part 2 process, a sustainability appraisal report (full report HERE) has been produced by Bristol-based LUC, which cites a 2012 study: “There will be a need for new supermarket provision in both Stafford and Stone at 2015. Westbridge Park could be a suitable location for an additional supermarket to serve Stone town.”
The borough council wants to sell the tennis courts at Westbridge Park to a food store to help fund major and much-needed improvements to play facilities at Westbridge Park, as well as a new leisure centre (more HERE). The Keep Westbridge Park Green campaign group is attempting to stop the food store plan by raising around £750,000 to buy the land for the local community.
A consultation on the Local Plan Part 2 proposals is now under way.
Residents and businesses across the area are being asked to comment on proposed boundaries which will decide where new housing, employment and retail development takes place in Stone and across the borough in the future. People have until the middle of July to give their comments before the council puts forward final boundary proposals later this year.
Last year the borough council had its Local Plan adopted after being rubber-stamped by the Government following a public hearing. This specified numbers of homes as well as the scale of retail or employment land that the borough would take. Now this new consultation provides detailed boundaries to show the areas where development can and cannot happen.
As part of the consultation exercise the council are also proposing a new charge on future developments, called the Community Infrastructure Levy, to provide new roads, schools and leisure facilities.
You can comment by viewing the planning documents online at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/forwardplans The documents can also be viewed at libraries and the Civic Centre – where people can also make comments.
The latest plans were drawn up following an information gathering exercise concerning a number of sites put forward by landowners and developers. A number of areas were ruled out following this exercise including proposed development in the greenbelt and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).
Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, Frances Beatty, said: “The council needs the input of local people about where new development should go. All these views will be taken into consideration before the boundaries are decided. I would urge everyone who lives or works in the borough to take the opportunity to give their views.”
For further enquiries, contact the Forward Planning Team by email – forwardplanning@staffordbc.gov.uk – or by calling 01785 619000.
The closing date for comments is noon on Wednesday 15th July.
