Plans for 55 houses in a North Staffordshire Village have narrowly been approved by councillors at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

Previously the authority had granted permission to build up to 55 houses in Upper Tean, now councillors had to decide whether they approved the design and layout of the proposals.

The land which is adjacent to Daisy Bank Farm on Uttoxeter Road will provide 55 new houses with 18 of them affordable which will be spread across the site. In total the development will bring two, one bedroom apartments; eight, two bedroom terraced houses; 26 two bedroom semi detached houses; six, four bedroom detached houses and 12 five bedroom detached houses.

Retired project engineer in water and environmental management and local resident Dave Stafford objected to the application. He said: "In 2019 this committee made a big mistake in approving the now outline design to build 55 houses on this site as it's too small to accommodate a robust well designed scheme. 

"The site is so intensely crammed with housing that there is only allocated a tiny area of green space and no childrens play area.

"Up to 100 children and their parents will have to ensure the dangers of walking into the village along Uttoxeter Road to play, visit shops, doctor and schools. Hence the site is not well designed."

The new development will bring 55 new houses with 18 of them affordable which will be spread across the site (Image supplied).

Eight local residents objected to the scheme in 2022 with seven objecting in 2023. The main areas of objection was the removal of hedgerows on the site boundary which could increase noise pollution to neighbouring properties. 

Checkley Parish Councillor Colin Pearce objected to the development stating: "The design is poor and the developer is trying to cram too many houses on the site, compromising open space and non compliant distances between houses. I believe this application has many unanswered questions, is a bad design 

Despite some objections from statutory authorities at the beginning of the application at the time of the planning committee meeting all were satisfied with the application. However comments over drainage, highways and ecology were only received within days of the application being heard.

Planning agent Geraint John in his conclusion to the planning committee: "The development is accord with the aims and objectives of local and national planning policy. If approved it would contribute to much needed housing and affordable housing and on this basis I urge you to recommend and vote to approve this scheme in line with your officers recommendations."

Councillor Keith Flunder (Con) and parish councillor for the area told fellow members of the planning committee that he has concerns over the application and said the application is just 'ticking the right boxes and I don't think we're here for that.'

Councillor Mark Johnson (Lab) said that despite misgivings over the application that he has minded to go with the officers recommendation to approve the application.

He said: "There are clearly some compromises in this, some of it is unsatisfactory. It depends whether it's too unsatisfactory. It really is a question of balance and particularly because of the need to deliver houses and the tilted balance."

When it came to the vote councillors were divided with six votes for and against, with the planning committee chairman, Councillor Peter Wilkinson having stepped out of the meeting due a conflict of interest after previously taking the council to judicial review over believing the policies in the outline application which were approved in 2019 were incorrect. It was left for the vice chairman, Councillor Keith Hoptroff to cast the deciding vote and with that he voted to approve the application.

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