Community leaders have voiced concerns about plans for up to 400 new homes on Green Belt land.

Northstone is proposing the development on land at Hollywall Lane, Sandyford.

A planning application has not yet been submitted to Stoke on Trent City Council, but a public consultation has taken place which closed at the end of July.

At Thursday's Sandyford and Goldenill Residents' Association (SAGE) meeting, residents were told that a joint response to the pre-planning application public consultation had been submitted by the association and ward councillor Chandra Kanneganti.

SAGE secretary Tom Simpson said: " According to Government statistics over 77% of households have at least one car and 34% two or more. The provision of an additional 400 houses there suggests an increase of around 450 vehicles using Broadfield Road or Hollywall Lane. 

"Sandyford and Goldenhill Residents Association and Councillor Kanneganti jointly agreed they were not happy with any proposed traffic increase, which needs to be addressed.

The infrastructure needs to be in place first with Highways before anything moves forward. It is also a suggestion that Reginald Mitchell Way (Sandyford) leading to the A500/D'Road needs to be dual carriageway to facilitate any increased traffic." 

Concerns were also raised about the impact of extra residents on health services and school places. Mr Simpson said: "Local GP Councillor Kanneganti said he is managing with the patients he already has with his surgery, but would need extra workforce, including GPs should the development go ahead.  

"Northstone said there is money built into the plan to build new infrastructure for the area, but this would need to be in place, including new medical requirements before any plan is agreed. A welfare officer for schools confirms there are not enough places for an addition of approximately 200 children, even though the property developer questions this. 

The councillor and resident's association believe when developers are looking to build more housing, they should concentrate more on brown belt locations. Mr Simpson added.

He said: "The resident's association and councillor believe the greenbelt location should not be built on, and it is confirmed it is cheaper to build on greenbelt land rather than brown or a grey belt location. 

"If planning permission is approved, the resident's association and councillor would insist biodiversity money to compensate the loss of greenspace must be spent in Sandyford and Goldenhill. 

"The committee and councillor believe in their neutrality at this present time, that they accept more properties need to be built, but emphasised Sandyford and Goldenhill has lost too much green space this century with the Reginald Mitchell and Brindley Village estates both in Sandyford.

It was also mentioned that surrounding the Sandyford/Goldenhill area that planning permission has already been proposed for Packmoor and Harriseahead."

Northstone has said the development will include 40 per cent affordable housing, with the homes ranging in size from one to five bedroom properties. It added that at the early stages of developing the scheme it was open to suggestions from the local community and wanted to include their ideas.

The company said: "Northstone places a high value on communication, engagement and consultation with the local community.

"As a part of plans to bring forward this new development of homes, we have undertaken to be proactive in building relationships, being open and honest in our communications, and conducting early, dynamic consultation with the local community, businesses, key stakeholders and elected representatives."