Leigh Ingham
Member of Parliament
Hello everyone,
I’m sorry not to be able to join you this evening, but I wanted to write to you directly to give an update and, importantly, to set out what I have been doing to push this forward for Eccleshall.
My work has focused on three key areas, and I have been raising these consistently in Parliament and directly with ministers whilst also continuing to work with Stafford Borough Council and Severn Trent locally.
1) Faster and fairer planning
I have been pressing for a quicker, clearer planning system so towns like Eccleshall are not left exposed when local plans are delayed. When this government came into office, fewer than a third of local plans nationally were up to date. Given that it takes an average of seven years to develop a local plan, this left communities vulnerable to speculative development with long periods of uncertainty.
I raised this directly with the Minister and argued that communities need clarity and protection much sooner. The Minister supported this approach, and we have now taken decisive steps to move towards universal local plan coverage. As part of this, the Government has introduced a new, faster and clearer planning process, with a stated expectation that local plans are prepared and adopted within 30 months.
Crucially for Eccleshall, I lobbied for additional funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to support Stafford Borough Council’s Local Plan work – we should have confirmation on this soon. I have also directly connected the SBC with officials in the MHCLGH who are supporting the process, which has helped the Local Plan gather pace locally.
2) Infrastructure must come first
Eccleshall’s sewage works flooded 67 times in 2023 and a further 26 times last year. I raised this directly with the Minister and pressed for practical support to ensure that growth does not overwhelm already stretched sewage, drainage, transport, education, and health services. I am
also working collaboratively with Severn Trent and other relevant bodies to press for action to address sewage and flooding issues for residents.
3) Joined-up planning decisions
I raised with the Minister the need for councils to be able to properly assess the cumulative impact of multiple planning applications, rather than being forced to consider them one by one in isolation. The NPPF mentions being strategic and long term with house building and making sure the infrastructure is in place, but this is just advisory rather than law. I will continue to raise to raise this issue because I believe this is an important safeguard.
My work on this will continue but if you want an update, you can email me and I’ll add you to my list for updates on this, as and when we have them.
All the best,
Leigh
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