Plans for 193 homes on ex-school site approved

The scheme will include a mix of housing types, along with open space and two children's play areas

Plans to build 193 homes on a former school site in Stoke-on-Trent have been approved by city councillors.

Housing will range from one-bedroom maisonettes to four-bedroom family homes on the site of the former Edensor High School in Longton, which has been vacant for more than a decade.

Lovell Partnerships, which secured planning permission, said the development would help regenerate the area and provide "much-needed" housing.

Steve Ulfig, from the company, told the planning committee the Brownfield land had been unused since the former school was demolished in 2014, and since then it had "attracted significant anti-social behaviour".

He said: "The regeneration of this site will not only bring it back into community use, it will also provide much-needed affordable housing, as well as much-needed private housing."

The scheme will also include open space and two children's play areas.

Sport facilities

Committee chair Dan Jellyman said: "In my view it ticks all the boxes – it's reusing land, it's protecting greenspace, and it's close to a town centre."

While planning rules would normally require a development of this size to include 25% affordable housing, planners accepted Lovell's claim that this would make the scheme non-viable.

An agreement will require the developer to provide eight affordable homes, equating to 4.15% of the total and Mr Ulfig said a 'contractual agreement' would provide a further 40 affordable homes.

The developer will also be required to make a £72,151 contribution towards local sport facilities and £108,590 towards footpath improvements.

Sport England had objected to the application due to the fact it will result in the permanent loss of football and rugby pitches - these had been out of use since the school closed.

But planning officers said this should not count against the application, due to the council having already agreed to provide alternative playing pitches elsewhere.

Councillor Ross Irving, while also welcoming plans, raised concerns over the impact of 200 or more extra cars on the local road network.

But highways officers said traffic modelling had demonstrated all junctions in the area would still be within capacity once the development is built.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.