South staffs winery expansion on hold amid fears

Plans to expand a South Staffordshire winery have been put on ice amid warnings that they could result in an "industrial estate" appearing in the middle of the countryside.

Halfpenny Green Vineyards, based in Tom Lane, Bobbington, wants to increase the size of its winery while adding a tasting room and education centre to the building. It also intends to construct a new detached tractor and machinery store opposite the winery.

Under the plans, three existing storage vats would be moved to stand next to the proposed tasting room and education centre.

However, some of the businesses based at the craft centre alongside the winery have found the scheme hard to swallow.

One of these, Margaret Green, told South Staffordshire District Council's regulatory committee: "We oppose this because the size and height of the proposed development will upset the peace and beauty of the area."

She maintained that it was planned for the wrong spot and branded its design "unsympathetic".

Miss Green also said that the businesses were worried about possible loss of trade during any redevelopment work. She urged the committee to put off a final decision on the application until after they had had a chance to visit the site. Local authority planners, who had been recommended to approve the scheme, voted to defer a decision to allow further talks to take place.

The vineyard says it needs to expand to meet the demand for sparkling wine, while the tractor store is necessary to meet regulations on storing machinery.