A North Staffordshire community outraged over plans to build over 700 houses on their doorstep have arranged a community meeting in order to rally together and object to the draft local plan.

The meeting, which was standing room only, packed into Red Street Community Centre to discuss the plans and to discuss the options available to them to object.

Currently the draft local plan identifies several locations in the area however two particular sites are causing concern for residents. 

Firstly Land at Red Street and High Carr Farm which planners have estimated that 778 houses could be built on. Secondly Land off Talke Road and A500, Talke which could be turned into an employment centre.

Red Street resident Paul Bull who is one of the resident group members who organised the meeting said in the past couple of weeks over 300 notices have been delivered to residents informing them of the plans.

The 48 year old said: "We got to hear of the plans via Facebook of a very sneaky put up regulation 18 notice on Bells Hollow which proposed 778 houses in the area either side of Bells Hollow and a further 390 houses at the fields at the monument.

"There are an immense number of ground works that have taken place over the years in those fields which include excavations and mine entrances.

"They are taking a rural village and making it a suburb of Newcastle."

Residents were concerned that nearly 800 houses and a new employment centre could be built in their area (LDRS).

Ian Sharp, 75 who has lived on Shrewsbury Drive for 38 years and is the former Chair of Governors at St Chad's School

He said: "There is so much wildlife that is going to be completely removed. I don't know why the hell they would want to build here."

Commenting on the potential mineshafts in the area, Mr Sharp commented: "Nobody knows where they are. They are 20 to 30 feet deep and they simply put a corrugated sheet of iron over them and gradually the soil and grass cover them. The iron rusts and if someone happens to be standing or driving there – god help them."

Many residents raised concerns over the infrastructure and how the added 1400 cars would impact the schools and roads in the area.

Seb Heinsohn, 38 said: "There is no infrastructure up here. We've got one school, the shop closed, the post office has closed. All that is left now is a pub and a community centre. There is a butcher but he owns part of the land.

"The main reason why a lot of people are concerned is from an aesthetic point of view, however there is so much wildlife in the fields. How many green belt spaces do they want to take away."

Local resident Patricia Wright is also concerned about the impact on the roads, she said that Red Street doesn't have a local shop which means that if people want something from a shop they are going to have to use a car.

The 56 year old said: "The roads are absolutely terrible. They've cut the bus service and the infrastructure here isn't right for what they want.

"I'm also concerned that the wildlife would be lost forever, it is going to be non-existent if they build all the houses."

READ MORE: Stoke-on-Trent care home set for new extension to Weston Coyney premises 

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.