A petition has been launched calling for the protection of a North Staffordshire field and action over flooding concerns.

In 2024 the green space next to Hoon Avenue and Milehouse Lane in Wolstanston was granted planning permission for up to 100 homes.

Campaigners argue development should not proceed on the land because of existing flooding issues which any development would exacerbate, archaeological anomalies which have not fully been investigated and rare bat and bird species in the area.

The decision was overturned at appeal by a planning inspector after Newcastle Borough Council rejected the application.

Last month a community meeting was held to discuss the campaign and future sale of the site. The meeting heard that a recent study by Groundsure found there was an elevated risk of flooding identified at Balls Fields, affectionately known locally as Baldies Field, with flooding expected to remain a risk for the next 30 years. 

The petition started by Adam Jogee MP for Newcastle calls on Staffordshire County Council, who own the land, to listen to residents' concerns and take steps to protect the field for future use. 

The petition states: "Proposals affecting the site have generated significant concern across the community. Residents have raised longstanding issues relating to traffic congestion in the surrounding area and have questioned how additional development could be accommodated safely within an already pressured road network.

"There are also concerns about flooding and drainage in the area, with residents highlighting existing problems following heavy rainfall. Questions remain about how further development would affect the local drainage system and whether the implications have been fully addressed.

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"The potential loss of Baldies Field itself is a major concern. For many people nearby, it represents one of the few remaining accessible green spaces, relied upon by individuals and families for everyday recreation and for the mental and physical wellbeing that open spaces support."

Speaking on the petition the MP said: "I've met with and heard from many residents about Baldies Field and listened carefully to the concerns they've raised – working with local councillor for Cross Heath, John Williams.

"The strength of feeling locally is clear. This is a space that has been used and valued by the community for generations.

"People are understandably worried about the potential loss of the field, as well as the impact development could have on traffic, drainage and the wider environment, and they do not feel the County Council is engaging with those concerns seriously and transparently.

"That's why I've launched this petition – to ensure local voices are heard and to call on Staffordshire County Council to ensure the concerns and perspectives of local residents are properly reflected in its actions and to take all possible steps to protect Baldies Field."

Previously a spokesman for Staffordshire County Council said: "The situation is no different to when the application was approved by the Planning Inspector in February 2024.

"Staffordshire County Council still owns the site and, to be clear, this land was not gifted to the community but purchased in two parcels in 1923 and 1931."

The petition can be signed online here.

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