Campaigners are battling to save a North Staffordshire green space after an appeal has been launched to build 100 homes on the site. The plans for the housing estate were rejected by councillors last year.

When plans were first revealed for Hoon Avenue and Milehouse Lane more than 600 residents objected. Despite planning officers recommending that approval in February last year councillors overruled the recommendation and voted to refuse the application.

At the time councillors said the scheme would have made a 'mockery' of a vision to give people access to nature. Now the applicant – Staffordshire County Council has lodged an appeal over the controversial Wolstanton housing estate. 

In rejecting the application the decision notice states: "The development would result in the loss of a locally unique area of natural open space that forms part of the 'green heritage' network of the Borough. It would harm the integrity and ecological and landscape value of the green heritage network and would detrimentally impact on accessibility to open space for existing and future residents."

Campaigners want Staffordshire County Council to withdraw or suspend the appeal while further investigations are carried out, namely previous undiscovered evidence of a suspected roman building, roman coins and artefacts which have been discovered in the vicinity of the site.  

Campaigners want Staffordshire County Council to withdraw or suspend the appeal (LDRS).

Peter Bate who is campaigning to protect the Hoon Avenue green space said: "This area is a green space which we are getting short off as more and more is being built on. It is a facility used by many of the local residents for dog walking, leisure activities and I know generations of school children have played there.

"Open space is important, it's good for your mental health, it's good for the environment and we believe it is also good for the schools to have open spaces next to them and not have houses built right next to them.

"With this particular land holds a lot of water and we are really concerned that should this go through from soft landscaping to hard landscaping this runoff will cause flooding both in the local area and further downstream of the Lyme Brook."

A public meeting is set to be held at Wolstanton Conservative club in Wolstanton, on February 29 2024 at 7.30pm.

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READ MORE: Plans for new flats above vacant shop in Stoke rejected 

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