Up to nine bungalows could be built on the North Staffordshire green belt if a planning application is approved. 

Barlaston Old Road Garage is seeking permission in principle for up to nine bungalows in the land adjacent to the garage on Old Road Baralston, Stoke-on-Trent. 

The application, submitted to Stafford Borough Council, states: "It is known that the site is within the Green Belt where new residential development is normally considered to be not appropriate. 

"In this case however it is contested that there are very special circumstances to warrant permission being granted." 

The 'special circumstances' set out by the applicant are the need for housing within Stafford Borough, protection of an "essential local business" and provision of self-build/custom housing units for older people. 

A supporting letter to the local planning authority explained that "the applicant has listened to local customers who seek to retain this garage service within the Parish rather than a remote industrial estate elsewhere." 

The letter added: "The new bungalows would be provided in order that profit from the development could be re-directed back into the garage business so as to allow for its improvement and upgrade to meet the future needs of local motorists." 

The applicant also stressed the need to provide suitable housing for older people, adding: "This application seeks to address this quickly growing and largely unmet need by providing bungalow accommodation suitable for older people." 

advertisement

The letter stated: "It is considered that meeting local housing need, providing specialist self/custom housing, providing housing for older people and protecting local business together constitute social circumstances to warrant planning approval being granted subject to conditions and legal undertakings to secure the same." 

The plans also include the retention of some open space which "could be gifted to Parish Council to provide both locally accessible open space and an opportunity to provide for ecologically rich canal-side water environment." 

Barlaston Parish Council objected to the plans on the grounds that the site lies outside of the Barlaston settlement boundary and "the proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt". 

The parish council added: "The proposed development of up to nine additional bungalows would exceed local requirements and is therefore inconsistent with the Barlaston Neighbourhood Plan." 

Stafford Borough Council's Strategic Planning and Placemaking team echoed these comments in a document submitted in January, which explained that "the site is located away from the Barlaston settlement boundary and within the North Staffordshire Green Belt designation." 

However, in February, the team submitted another document claiming that "this site should be classified as 'grey belt'" and called for "a balanced approach to decision-making".

The most recent document stated: "There is a clear demonstrable need for the development given the absence of a five year housing land supply and the site is in a sustainable location." 

The team added: "The proposed new housing development of nine new dwellings close to the Barlaston settlement boundary is at an appropriate scale for Barlaston as Key Service Village as part of the sustainable settlement hierarchy of the adopted Plan for Stafford Borough 2011-2031." 

advertisement

The document concluded: "At this stage the planning policy position is not to support this proposal development unless education, affordable housing, open space and highway contributions have been addressed by the applicant, with this being alongside other material considerations that will be taken into account in the overall planning balance in determining the application. 

"Therefore, the advice provided is the Planning Policy perspective and DM Officers will take a balanced approach to decision-making." 

Stafford Borough Council has yet to make a decision on the application. 

To view the full application, visit the Stafford Borough Council planning website here.