Thousands take stand against plans for 1,500 homes

Martin Peet started the petition against potential new homes in Eccleshall, Staffordshire

More than 4,000 people are backing a petition that opposes what they believe is over-development of a Staffordshire town.

Five separate developers are proposing to build more than 1,500 new homes in Eccleshall across 10 earmarked sites, but campaigners say with traffic issues, flooding and a full doctor's surgery, infrastructure is already struggling to cope.

"Adding 1,500 homes to Eccleshall will make things drastically worse, and what we've said is that we need infrastructure first, but [also] proportionate building," said campaigner Martin Peet.

A Labour MP told BBC Politics Midlands, however, that the government's boosted targets for new homes were "absolutely what we need".

New, higher mandatory housing targets were introduced by the government in December 2024, as well as significant changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.

The target for the whole of Stafford borough is 749 new dwellings a year - with up to 60 a year in Eccleshall.

A business owner in the town said he believed the government's plans would, on a national scale, be "killing communities".

The BBC has contacted the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government for comment.

Five separate developers are proposing to build more than 1,500 new homes in Eccleshall across 10 earmarked sites

Some applications for developments in the town have already been submitted - Muller Property Group submitted two outline planning applications, each for fewer than 100 homes.

Another developer, Bloor Homes, told the BBC that it had carried out ground assessments and would be submitting outline planning permission for up to 500 homes.

Councillor Jeremy Pert warned of a ravaging of small towns

One concern among campaigners is that Stafford Borough's Local Plan has not been renewed.

Among other measures, Local Plans identify a five-year land supply, and it is a requirement for local authorities to keep these plans up to date.

"The Local Plan is the bible about where houses and businesses can be developed in the whole of the borough of Stafford," said councillor Jeremy Pert, Conservative.

"Without a Local Plan, you can't stop this wanton development, this ravaging of our small towns and settlements."

Campaigners said the proposals were over-development

Resident Steve Harding, who has lived on the edge of the town for almost 50 years, said the potential developments were "frightening".

He faces the largest proposal, of 500 houses; developments which would back on to his family home.

"As we become [embroiled] in the planning process, there's nothing but disappointment... A diligence towards [communities] is just absent."

Stafford Borough Council member Ant Reid, Labour and Co-operative, said the status of the Local Plan was not what was allowing developers to put forward new proposals.

"It is the increased targets," he told the BBC.

"If all 1500 come through, I would consider that to be unsustainable, I would consider that to be over-development."

Green belt

But Rachel Taylor, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, told Politics Midlands on Sunday that people had to be realistic about the situation.

"Anyone who tells you that all of those houses can be built on brownfield sites is not understanding the problem.

"Some of them will have to be built on green belt but we have to be careful and stick to our golden rules. That means increasing our conservation of nature, increasing the public's access to green spaces and building social housing on that."

Bradley Thomas, Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, who has objected to some developments in his area of Worcestershire, told the programme that housing targets there had increased by 85%, while the target had decreased in nearby Birmingham by more than 30%.

"It's really about protecting green open spaces, building houses in areas where infrastructure is already there, and where infrastructure can be delivered," he said.

"One of the dilemmas that we face is with the government imposing top-down targets, all that does, in my view, is favour the mass house builders… frankly they are responsible in this country for a large culture of nimbyism."