English Heritage

As some of you may know, English Heritage have  been giving consideration to declaring the George & Dragon a listed building.  They have now finished their enquiries and have made a recommendation to the Department for Communities, Media and Sport (DCMS).  We await their decision with baited breath!  Rest assured, as soon as I hear anything I'll post it here.

Interestingly, it seems that two residents made separate applications independently to English Heritage.  I know who one of them is but not the other.  If the other applicant would like to drop me a line, I'd be delighted to swap notes.

More Political Support

Our Staffordshire County Councillor, Ian Parry, has now formally joined us in objecting to the planning application.  In his letter to Stafford Borough, Councillor Parry objects to  the over density of population that the proposals would lead to.  He goes on to express concerns over the proximity to the busy road junction.  Finally, he notes that there is universal disapproval by local residents and no signficant demand for housing in this part of the borough anyway.

Well said indeed.

Some Common Sense at Last?

More good news for those opposed to the planning application has come in the form of  a consultation response from Staffordshire Highways Authority.   They have recommended that the planning application be refused on the grounds that:

• There is inadequate provision for parking and turning within the site
• The development will result in an increased likelihood of "highway danger" due to vehicles "waiting on the public highway ... and manoeuvring ... ".
• The application fails to provide sufficient information that adequate vehicular visibility can be achieved
  

A statement of the obvious if ever there was one but at least now it's official.

More Opposition to the Proposals

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust have joined us in opposing the planning application. According to their letter on the Stafford Borough Council website, the application has ecological implications on what is an area of natural woodland and protected species of wildlife.  The trust has consequently requested an extended phase 1 habitat survey.

It seems that this time of year is not ideal for a survey to be carried out and a more detailed survey may need to be done next summer.

The Trust has submitted a holding objection due to the need for further information.

Last Week

And what a week it was.  First of all, Monday saw the closing date for public comments.  Over 85 emails and letters (discounting those who wrote in twice) were posted on the Stafford Borough Council website.  All but one of them were strongly opposed to the application.  And the protests did not just come from residents.   A number of people from the wider area who have enjoyed visiting the George and Dragon wrote in to voice their objections.

Then there was the Fulford Parish Council meeting on Thursday which was packed with Rough Close residents.  An incredible turnout which only goes to show the fierce resistance there is to these outrageous proposals.  Hats off to all who attended.  Also at the meeting was Staffs County Councillor Ian Parry who spoke against the proposal as did our Parish Councillors Joy Bennett, Linda McPherson and Andrew Lovatt. When it came to the crunch, the Council voted unanimously to oppose the application.

On Friday I received a letter from our local MP, Bill Cash, also putting his weight against the proposals. 

For the full text of Bill's letter please see below.

Letter from Bill Cash MP

Click on the image to view

What Happens Next

The Planning application has now been "called in" by Richard Oldfield, Stafford Borough Councillor for Fulford Ward .  This means that the application cannot be decided by planning officers on their own.  It must be referred to the Planning Committee which we can attend to voice our objections.

At the time of writing no date has been set.