Housing estate plans backed for old Staffordshire Police HQ site
A housing estate on the site of the former Staffordshire Police headquarters has been given the green light – after eight years of wrangling.
The decision to approve plans for 141 homes off the A34 Cannock Road at Baswich has been widely welcomed by county councillors.
It includes the go-ahead for a £30,000 study of the A34 route after concerns were raised over potential traffic problems.
The 16-acre site has stood empty since February 2010.
County council leader Patrick Farrington, who represents Baswich, said the land had an extensive planning history, which at one time included a scheme for 230 homes.
Pressure
“That is significantly more than the current proposal,” he said. “The other good thing is the mix of homes with a good offering of affordable housing, which is particularly welcome at the south end of Stafford.”
The scheme prompted concern about an increase in traffic on Cannock Road and the Weeping Cross area – and extra pressure on schools and medical centres.
Councillor Ray Barron, representing the Wildwood and Weeping Cross ward, who called in the application, said developers had made some amendments to address residents’ fears.
But he added: “I would have really liked an improvement to the two islands at the top of Radford Bank and to have seen the Cannock Road entrance improved. Traffic lights or an island would have been better at that junction.”
The move by planning chiefs follows a history of problems, with two developers withdrawing offers before Bellway bought the site from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for £15 million last year.
Controversy was sparked when it emerged the developer did not want to deliver any affordable housing there.
