Council 'messed up' £330,000 Staffordshire schools fund
A council blunder almost cost £330,000 worth of investment into education in Staffordshire, it has emerged.
Council chiefs approved plans to build 170 homes in Stafford last month.
As part of the deal, Bellway Homes was asked to hand over around £700,000 to go towards improving schools in the area.
However, that was an incorrect figure.
Instead of contributing £637,318 for secondary education and £67,518.08 for primary education, it should have been agreed for the developer to hand over £397,116 for primaries - a difference of £329,597.
The homes are going to be built south of Doxey Road.
Council spokesman Anthony Gale has admitted officers 'messed up' the numbers and now the proposals have been hauled back before councillors to be determined for a second time on Tuesday.
In a report it states: "Due to various amendments to the section 106 financial obligations during the course of the application, a verbal update was given to Committee, which was incorrect in part."
Mr Gale said "The reason the proposal has been referred back to the committee is that those figures in the earlier report are wrong.
"Basically it was a bit of a mess up. Officers spotted the mistake and that's why it has been referred back for a decision on Tuesday.
"The report now has the correct figures."
Mr Gale said Staffordshire County Council was responsible for supplying the information regarding the education contributions but spokeswoman Gemma Styles rebuffed the notion that the authority was to blame.
She confirmed the error had not been made by county officials, implying the mistake was made by borough planners.
"The figures we provided were the correct ones," she said.
The proposal is the first phase of a masterplan for the west of Stafford which will include 2,200 homes in total as well as a new primary school.
Residents have been vehemently opposed to the proposal for Doxey Road with two petitions containing 750 names expressing concerns the development would cause potential traffic congestion and flooding problems.
It was passed by a single vote on March 18 alongside the masterplan which was also given the go-ahead in principle on the night.
Planning officers have once again recommended that the plans be approved when they are discussed on Tuesday.
