A developer building more than 300 new homes in North Staffordshire is seeking permission to amend plans approved more than two years ago.

Gleeson Developments is proposing a temporary access point for a sales area for the housing estate being built on land between Apedale Road and Palatine Drive in Chesterton, but this has sparked concerns from community leaders and residents, a report to Newcastle Borough Council's planning committee said.

The developer was granted consent to build 330 new homes on the land in August 2022. Now a fresh application seeking variation of conditions, to allow amendments to house types and plot locations as well as the temporary access, is due to be considered by the council's planning committee on Tuesday (December 3)

A report to the planning committee said: "The applicant proposes to make a series of minor positional changes to plots ranging between 0.5 and 1m which are to improve interface distances and off-street parking provision. These are considered minor tweaks given the nature of the development and the context of the original approval.

Now, Gleeson Developments is proposing a temporary access point for a sales area on the site (Google).

"Additionally, a detached garage is to be relocated to allow for parking and some swapping of house types to improve plot layouts. Finally, there is the addition of a temporary access point off Apedale Road, facilitating vehicular access to the sales and marketing area.

"This also includes a double garage on plot 329 to provide a sales area which would be considered commonplace on this type of housing development. There are no concerns relating to design given the limited scale of the changes proposed and therefore there would be negligible impact on the street scene and wider area.

"Concerns have been raised by both ward councillors and local residents in relation to the temporary access road and how this will affect the semi-mature trees and planting that is currently in situ. The applicant has advised that removal of trees and vegetation will be kept to a minimum and any losses would be offset by the landscaping strategy of the wider site."

Shirley Smith, who raised concerns about the proposed access, said: "Loomer Road and Brutus Road that leads to Palatine Drive are already very busy blocked roads with a lot of heavy traffic for Turner Crescent and the other factories, also the parking from the bungalows where carers park their cars which blocks Brutus Road. This area is not suitable as it's already very bust."

------------

READ MORE: Lorry driver caught nearly three times over the limit on M6 at Stoke-on-Trent

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stoke Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our city.

Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter email HERE - just click the 'SIGN UP' button.

Please consider following Stoke Nub News on Facebook or Twitter.