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Parish Council Response to Amended Old Croft Road Plans

Berkswich Parish Council have submitted the comments below to Stafford Borough Council regarding the amended application for land at Old Croft Road:

APPLICATION 22/36536/OUT
PROPOSED ERECTION OF 40 DWELLINGS, LAND ADJACENT TO 65 OLDCROFT ROAD, WALTON ON THE HILL

Thank you for consulting Berkswich Parish Council on the additional and amended information submitted by the applicants. Nothing in this additional information addresses the Parish Council’s fundamental objection to the application that it is contrary to SBC planning policy, nor alleviates any of the detailed concerns previously expressed. In several respects the new information accentuates those previous concerns. In particular:

1. The revised highways layout (Ophir TDA26-PL002 Rev E) is now an extremely rigid and geometric grid. This is a regression from the (admittedly poor) more informal layout (PL002-Rev A) originally submitted. It pays no respect to its rural fringe location; the introduction of street lighting will accentuate the intrusive presence of the development here.

2. The proposed new visibility splay, kerbed 2m urban style pedestrian footpath and streetlights running west from the new estate entrance along Oldcroft Road would harmfully change the semi-rural character of Oldcroft Road at this point. It would require removal of the frontage hedge increasing exposure of the new development. The suggestion at paragraph 9.25 of the Rappor LVIA Report that the existing hedge could be retained and will screen the new development in views from the north and west is incorrect as is the detail shown on drawings 22-0812-SK01-03. The centre line of the existing hedge is for much of its length only 1.5m on average from the edge of the carriageway tarmac. The hedge could not possibly be retained.

3. The Parish Council does not have the expertise to challenge the traffic figures in the Transportation Report in depth. However, it seems, based on local experience and observation, that this report (para 6.11) does not take into account the potential dangers of the narrow width of Oldcroft Road to the west of the application site, the large volumes of traffic using the route as a peak time rat run (alluded to by County Highways in their original comments dated 14 November 2022) as well as vehicles accessing the three local schools. The highways impact of additional traffic likely to be generated by the proposed development still does not appear to have been adequately assessed.

4. In respect of the Rappor Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment report (22.0812-RAPP-XX-XX-R-L-9500-LVIA) the Parish Council is bemused by the reference at paragraph 8.37 to the proximity of nearby allotment gardens (there are none in Walton on the Hill) and the A48, (a highway across South Wales). The use of unedited “cut and paste” brings the reliability and credibility of the LVIA report into doubt.

5. Notwithstanding the suggested reinforced boundary planting (which will on the consultant’s admission take 15 years to have an initial effect: Appendix 8 Summary Landscape and Visual Effects tables) the massing of the development overall will appear as an intrusive, inorganic protrusion into open countryside beyond the edge of Walton on the Hill whether seen from Oldcroft Road, from the PROWs or within wider landscape views from Cannock Chase. The consultant’s characterisation of the site as having High Sensitivity to the footpath network (para 9.16) and ascribing Adverse impacts (LVIA Appendix 8) to its intrusion into these views accords with Parish Council’s criticism of the scheme.

6. While reinforcement of the existing hedgerows and increased tree planting on the site is to be welcomed irrespective of the proposed development some of the suggested works (for example the replacement of the conifer clump in the NW corner of the site) are on land outside the applicant’s control. It is unclear how this improvement would be implemented.

7. No mechanism is put forward for the future funding and management of the areas of public open space within the development.

Berkswich Parish Council maintains its objection in principle to this application.