Development to include new school, GP surgery, indoor leisure & railway station
A major project to create a large new ‘garden village’ with thousands of new homes on the outskirts of Stafford will be discussed by senior councillors in Stafford. The plans to build the new village also include building a new school, GP surgery, indoor leisure and railway station.
6,000 new homes and up to 974 acres of employment land
The site in the north of the borough, near Eccleshall, will have a network of cycling and walking routes with around 6,000 new homes and up to 30 hectares 974 acres) of employment land. Details of the proposed garden village are contained in the council new Local Plan” which acts as a blueprint for development across the borough until 2040.
Members of the council’s ruling cabinet will be asked to approve a public consultation event on the Local Plan – Preferred Options Report” to be launched next month. If agreed the seven-week consultation would see the plans being available in libraries, public exhibitions and drop-in sessions for the public to view and give their opinions on.
Take part in the consultation through the council’s website
People will also be able to take part in the consultation through the council’s website. In the report. The move will be discussed on Thursday, October 6, when councillors will be told it is important to make progress so policies are in place, and potential land for building is allocated to control future development in the borough, said a spokesperson for the authority.
The Local Plan to go before the Secretary of State in late 2023
The Local Plan, along with all the comments, are due to go before the Secretary of State in late 2023 who will then appoint an independent planning inspector to who will decide examination the plan in detail and publicly decide whether the plan is sound. Councillor Frances Beatty, cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: “It’s very important we have an up to date, adopted plan so everybody will know where can be developed, how much development will be allowed, and when this will happen.”
Members of the cabinet will hear that since the current plan was adopted in 2014 significant changes in national planning guidelines have been introduced which have had an impact on the council’s local policies. One of the potential developments included in the Local Plan is the garden village which as a working title of ‘Meecebrook’.
Once in a lifetime opportunity for this borough to deliver a new community
The proposed project near Cold Meece has already received government backing of around £1.4 million to help prepare infrastructure studies to see if the scheme is viable. Councillor Beatty continued: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for this borough to deliver a new community which we want to be the blueprint for best practice in so many fields such as the environment, transport, education, and housing.
