(Application 25/41516/OUT – Land West of Blurtons Lane, Eccleshall)
1. What is being proposed?
Bloor Homes has submitted an outline planning application for up to 480 new homes
on land west of Blurtons Lane, between Stafford Road and Stone Road.
“Outline” means the council is being asked to approve:
• the principle of development
• the size of the scheme
• the location
If these are approved now, later applications cannot revisit whether the site is suitable
in the first place.
The developer’s Planning Statement confirms this is not an allocated site in the Local
Plan:
“The site is not allocated within the adopted Plan for Stafford Borough.”
(Planning & Affordable Housing Statement, Pegasus Group, p.33)
The application also includes:
• Land for a primary school
• Land for a health centre
• A new spine road
• Drainage ponds (SuDS) and green space
However, land being offered does not mean these facilities will actually be built.
Schools and health facilities depend on separate decisions and funding by the
education authority and NHS.
2. Why does the scale matter?
Eccleshall is classed in planning policy as a Key Service Village, meaning it is meant to
grow gradually.
This scheme would:
• Add about 1,400 people• Increase the population by 20–30%
• Increase the physical size of the town by around one third
The council’s own planning officers have warned this represents:
• A 27.5% increase from this scheme alone
• 37.4% growth when combined with other proposals
They concluded this conflicts with the Local Plan’s spatial strategy.
This is what planners call a “step-change” in scale — more like a town extension than
village growth.
3. “We need houses” – what about the 5-year land supply?
Developers argue that councils must approve large schemes because they lack a five-
year housing land supply.
But Bloor’s own Planning Statement admits:
“The Borough has delivered housing above its requirement.”
(Pegasus Group, p.49)
And Stafford Borough has passed the Housing Delivery Test, meaning it is already
building homes.
This means the issue is mainly timing, not lack of sites — and planning policy does not
require Eccleshall to take disproportionate growth to solve a borough-wide technical
problem.
4. Traffic, roads and parking
The Transport Assessment is based mainly on junction modelling, not real-world
conditions:
“The assessment of impact has been undertaken through junction capacity modelling.”
(Transport Assessment, ADC Infrastructure, p.92)
This does not properly reflect:
• HGVs
• Farm vehicles
• M6 diversion traffic• Narrow rural roads like Blurtons Lane and Stone Road
National Highways have formally said more information is needed and have not
supported approval yet.
Parking is also not properly assessed. The Transport Assessment looks only at parking
inside the site, not whether Eccleshall already has enough parking for:
• New residents
• A school
• A health centre
5. Drainage, flooding and sewage
The drainage strategy relies on SuDS ponds that must be permanently maintained:
“SuDS features will require ongoing management and maintenance.”
(Flood Risk & Drainage Strategy, Woods Hardwick, p.38–39)
This would be done by a private management company, which creates long-term risk.
For foul sewage, the developer states:
“Severn Trent Water has a statutory duty to accept foul flows.”
(Water Quality Assessment, p.4)
But Severn Trent has issued a holding objection, warning of potential pollution and lack
of capacity.
The pumping station also serves Drake Hall Prison and Raleigh Hall Industrial Estate,
adding to the load.
6. Schools and doctors – what’s actually guaranteed?
The developer says:
“Land is proposed for a primary school and medical facility.”
(Planning Statement, p.72)
But land alone does not build anything.
The NHS and education authority must separately fund, approve and deliver these
facilities — and there is no guarantee they will be built before homes are occupied.
7. Countryside, landscape and wildlifeCouncil conservation officers say the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment:
• Misses key viewpoints
• Understates harm to the rural setting
• Fails to assess separation from Chebsey
Ecologists have also raised concerns about protected species (including great crested
newts) and say further surveys or licences are required before permission can legally be
granted.
8. What do the professionals think?
It is important to know that official bodies have raised serious concerns, including:
• National Highways
• Severn Trent Water
• Council planning officers
• Council conservation officers
• Ecological consultees
Several have said approval should not be granted yet because key risks remain
unresolved.
9. How to submit an objection (step-by-step)
1. Go to the Stafford Borough Council Planning Portal
2. Search for application 25/41516/OUT
3. Click “Comment on this application”
4. Select “Object”
5. Write your comments (you can use any points from this guide)
6. Submit before the deadline
You do not need to write a long letter. Even a few well-written paragraphs matter.
Focus on:
• Scale and overdevelopment
• Traffic and parking• Flooding and sewage
• Infrastructure uncertainty
• Impact on the town
Use your own words — copied text carries less weight.
You can also email your objection to planning@staffordbc.gov.uk, please remember to
reference the application number in your subject title – Application 25/41516/OUT –
Land West of Blurtons Lane, Eccleshall and include your address and postcode in the
email.
Final thought
Objecting is not about stopping all development.
It is about asking whether this proposal is the right size, in the right place, at the right
time for Eccleshall.
Your voice really does count.
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