Plans to pull down a former shoe factory in Stone and build more than 100 new homes on the site are set to be passed by Stafford Borough Council – despite more than 100 objections from residents.
Outline planning permission was previously granted for residential development at Stonefield Works on Oulton Road in 2007, but a further detailed application never came forward, and the consent lapsed.
Stonefield Works was a factory site for shoe firm Lotus until the 1970s, when it was acquired by ABB. In 2020, Hitachi and ABB’s Power Grids business came together to create Hitachi Energy UK Limited, which has now submitted a new application for redevelopment of the site.
Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee is set to consider the latest application at its meeting on Wednesday. A report to the committee said:
“The supporting documents advise that the type, layout, and condition of some of the existing buildings on site, with many in disrepair, has impacted on the way that Hitachi has been able to operate from the site.
“It is stated that the current buildings are not capable of being brought up to modern standards for an operational and energy efficient perspective, because the cost of doing so is prohibitive. This has limited the operations that Hitachi can undertake on the site and has led to it seeking new premises elsewhere.
“The application as submitted sought outline planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings on site and the construction of up to 130 dwellings. The application has been subsequently amended and the proposal to be considered seeks the construction of up to 114 dwellings on the site with the provision of public open space and associated works.
“Approval is sought only for the means of access to the site. All other matters relating to layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for the proposed development are reserved for subsequent approval.”
Planning officers at the borough council have recommended the application for approval by the committee. One letter of support has been submitted, backing plans to use the site for housing, but the authority has received 117 objections, with concerns including increased traffic on already congested town roads, impact on services such as GP surgeries and loss of part of Stone’s heritage.
Ward councillor and Stone historian Philip Leason has called in the application for consideration by the planning committee. He said the former Lotus Building was regarded as a non-designated heritage asset of Stone and should be retained, there was no acceptable drainage in place and no provision to retain green corridor between the development and houses on Oulton Road.
The planning committee report said:
“Stonefield Works is an unlisted former Lotus Ltd shoe factory, built in the ‘bypass modern’ style. The factory building represents the last vestige of Stone’s long involvement in shoe making and is an attractive example of a modernist factory of the post WWII years.
“In 2022 an application for the listing of the building was submitted to Historic England by a member of the public. Historic England carried out a desk-based assessment followed by a site visit to Stonefield Works.
“Whilst Historic England acknowledged that the former Lotus shoe factory had some architectural distinctiveness and is of interest for its place in the historic development of a local area, it was considered a relatively late example of its type being stylistically of the inter-war period, and it has seen a degree of alteration which lessens its interest overall. Historic England therefore concluded that the criteria for listing was not met as the building does not have special interest in the national context.
“Historic England did, however, state that the factory possesses local interest as a clear link to Stone’s history of shoe-manufacturing and as a large employer in the town during the mid to late 20th century and its links to the Bostock family of Stafford who first established a shoe manufacturing business in 1814, although this was not sufficient to merit listing. The factory has a clear association of history at a local level and on this basis can reasonably be considered a non-designated heritage asset.”
2 comments
Alex
I believe that the Lotus factory should be maintained as part of Stone’s history.
One way this could be achieved is be converting the building into apartments.
It would a shame to see Lotus go!
Sally
Would have made a beautiful art college! Such a shame !