Planning application lands for 240 new homes on the edge of Stone

As expected, plans have been submitted by Richborough Estate for a 240-home development for land south of Eccleshall Road.

We covered all of the planning proposals for this part of Stone recently, and following a public consultation in May and the application has now been submitted to Stafford Borough Council.

The proposals include 96 affordable homes, a planning statement submitted as part of the application said. It added

“The proposed development seeks to deliver up to 240 new homes in a variety of sizes and tenure, including affordable housing designed to be tenure blind, so that it is not easy to differentiate between the private and affordable homes.

“The proposed new housing will include a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes. A total of 4.1 hectares (10.1 acres) of open space would be provided within the site, in accordance with the council’s requirements. This would comprise public open space, community allotments, planting and children’s play provision.

“The application site is sustainably located on the edge of Stone therefore would provide future residents with access to a range of existing facilities within a comfortable walking distance, including; first/middle schools and nursery, pharmacy, dental and doctors surgeries, pubs and takeaways, and shops at Walton local centre.”

More than a dozen people have objected to the application so far however. They highlighted the number of new homes that have already been built in the town in recent years, as well as other proposals in the pipeline.

A Sweepers Avenue resident said:

“I don’t feel there is a need for any more housing. We have had a major development in this area which is only just completed and as of today more than 322 houses for sale or sold subject to contract within Stone.

“The traffic is already a major issue at peak times with significant queues and no adjustments to the A34 roundabout will help the Eccleshall road traffic as the road itself cannot be changed to multiple lanes in each direction. I feel this development placing homes directly facing the front of my property will affect its value and will impact the light and views I have.

“Stone as a town cannot cope with this increase in volume of housing, it does not have the infrastructure to cope nor does it have the capacity to increase infrastructure within the town city as there is no land. There is also the loss of agriculture land which is currently farmed and attracts wildlife which will be lost.

A Lichfield Road resident said:

“There have been almost 500 houses built in Eccleshall Road in the last few years causing traffic congestion towards Walton roundabout. However my main objection is that Stone is not big enough to sustain the amount of houses proposed in this application along with all the other recent new builds, plus the talk of further houses at the top of Marlborough Road.

“We struggle to get doctors appointments and there are not enough schools to accommodate yet more children in the area. One high school is surely not enough.”

A Common Lane resident said:

“The development is yet another intrusion into the rural area of Stone. The local infrastructure is already over capacity at peak times and is not able to absorb such a large additional demand that this development would generate.”

You can. checkout the application and have you say (for or against) on the Stafford Borough Planning Portal – 25/40959/OUT: Eection of 240 residential dwellings, with associated infrastructure works, including access (vehicular, pedestrian and cycle), drainage, public open space and landscape on land off Eccleshall Road, Stone