A public meeting will be held in the town on Tuesday 20th November on plans for mixed-use development at Westbridge Park.
The meeting is a Stone Town Council general purposes meeting and representatives from the borough council will be presenting on the Stafford Borough Local Plan and how it affects Stone. It’s the Local Plan that identifies Westbridge Park as a site for mixed-use development.
The meeting has been moved from the town council to the theatre at Alleyne’s High School because of the large number of people who will want to attend. The meeting starts at 7pm.
More than 2,500 people have signed the Keep Westbridge Park Green petition, either online or on paper at businesses across the town. You can find the online petition here.
Last week the borough council pledged to consult with Stone residents on its plans for Westbridge Park and said that housing would not be built on the green space. Cllr Mike Smith, deputy leader and Cabinet member for leisure, said the council wants to provide better leisure and park facilities at Westbridge. Town councillor Rob Kenney, who started the Keep Westbridge Park Green petition, said last week that the council had not ruled out retail development.
Rob said today that an action group was now being set up to fight any proposals for retail development like a supermarket.
He said: “Whilst some people would like to see an enhanced leisure facility and playground they would not welcome a supermarket. We have now started to set up an action group and already have people with legal expertise on board. We are looking for local people with expertise in planning and other relevant fields to help form the group. We also need written representation from local groups and people that use Westbridge Park.”
You can contact the action group at keepwestbridgeparkgreen@virginmedia.com
6 comments
RichardS
I’ve just got back from holiday and just read Philip Jone’s posting. No, Philip. The real choice that the people of Stone have to make is – do they want a supermarket on Westbridge Park or keep it as it is. The “better leisure centre and multi-games play area for all the children” is the cynical inducement that would only be provided once the Borough Council have pocketed millions of pounds by selling a large part of Westbridge to a major plc for the supermarket. It’s as simple as that.
Philip Jones
Richard is spot on. I arranged this meeting so that everyone in Stone can listen to the Borough Council, see what is on offer and express their opinion. Questions to the planners can be sent in writing to Town Clerk, Stone Town Council, Station Road, Stone, ST15 8JR. Let us all have a sensible and reasoned debate between those who would like to see a better leisure centre and a multi-games play area for all the children in Stone, and those who would keep Westbridge Park as it is.
Philip Jones
Chairman, Stone Town Council, General Purposes Committee
Rob Kenney
An extract taken from the document that stafford Borough are using:
Opportunity 4 – Westbridge Park
7.36 The Westbridge Park site offers the only edge of centre opportunity to deliver a major supermarket
that would be able to address the current overtrading identified at the existing Morrisons store. The
site is level and could accommodate a purpose built store with either undercroft or surface level car
parking. If strong links with the existing town centre are to be encouraged then careful consideration
will need to be given to the orientation of any development on the site including the entrance to the
store.
Stafford Borough Council
A060961 26/01/2011
82
7.37 Any redevelopment is likely to involve the removal and relocation of the existing leisure centre and the
associated tennis courts, girl guides building and children’s playgrounds. WYG do not believe that
demolition and the relocation of such uses would undermine the viability of any scheme in this locality.
However, finding an alternative location may prove more difficult. The Council will need to carefully
consider any potential relocation options if the site is to be released for redevelopment. There may
even be the potential to re-provide these uses on-site.
7.38 The site benefits from strong visual presence on Stafford Street which would make it very attractive to
all of the major grocery operators. The existing site is accessed off Stafford Street and benefits from
its own dedicated service road. This access will require upgrading to accommodate potential
customer and delivery vehicles.
7.39 The site is located within an area of flood risk as identified by the Environment Agency. However,
retail development of this nature is considered less vulnerable in PPS25 terms and any constraints
could potentially be addressed.
the document can be found here:
https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/live/Documents/Forward%20Planning/Additional_Material/Retail-study.pdf
Rob Kenney
Rest assured many many notices will be being put up around Town over the weekend.
RichardS
This, without doubt, will be the most important public meeting ever held in Stone. Be there!
Forget the ‘Gates -v- Bollards’ referendum of a couple of decades ago or the ‘Save the Library’ campaign some years ago. They pale into insignificance compared to the threat to Westbridge Park.
The paper petition and e-petition have attracted eneormous support but, knowing the Borough Council as I do, little notice will be taken of them.
This is an issue where ‘people power’ needs to be demonstrated. So , if you’ve already signed one of the petitions, you definitely need to be there on the 20th November. If you know someone who shares your concerns, persuade them to go along too. Whenever the issue is raised in any conversation, tell people about the meeting. And the campaign organisers must get notices out into all the shops, pubs, noticeboards and anywhere else where people can read them. Facebook and Twitter users – get moving! Tell the world to be at Alleynes on November 20th. Let no-one, after the meeting, say they didn’t know about it!
Come on, we’ve just over a month to make sure that, whatever the weather, the people of Stone will turn out in force to tell the Borough Council to keep their “Hands off Westbridge Park”
Jack Taylor
Exactly! Been in touch with Radio Stoke and they want to be there and listen live so do other radio station! Spread the word!