The Council has now closed the consultation stage on the Local Plan 2020-2040 Preferred Options document (pdf 20mb), which sought views on draft policies and proposals for new development across Stafford Borough over the next 20 years. All of the responses received will now be processed and published on the Borough Council website early in the New Year.
The Preferred Options document includes:
- New levels of housing and employment land requirements, and how these will be distributed across the Borough through a new settlement hierarchy.
- Proposed development allocations including Stafford Station Gateway and a new garden community at Meecebrook, which is adjacent to Cold Meece and near to Yarnfield and Eccleshall. Further information about the new garden community.
- A range of draft planning policies on topics such as climate change, economic development, housing provision, transport and the environment
The consultation ran from Monday 24 October 2022 until 12noon on Monday 12 December 2022.
Responses submitted during the consultation have now been published.
As part of the consultation, the Council are running an online event and a number of drop-in exhibitions across the Borough for all interested parties (e.g. Parish Councillors, residents, local business people) to attend in order to discuss the Local Plan and to ask questions. These are detailed below:
- Wednesday 9 November 2022 - 7.30pm-8.30pm - online consultation event
- Thursday 10 November 2022 - 4pm-8pm - Jubilee Room, Eccleshall Community Centre
- Monday 14 November 2022 - 4pm-8pm - Grosvenor Centre, Gnosall
- Tuesday 15 November 2022 - 4pm-8pm - Westbridge Room, Christchurch, Stone
- Saturday 19 November 2022 - 11am-3.45pm - Stafford, Central Library
Recording of the online consultation event (YouTube) held on 9 November 2022. Answers to questions submitted during the event are available in the Question and Answer Paper
There are a range of documentation and information to support this consultation, please see below:-
- Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040 - Preferred Options consultation document (pdf 20mb)
- Non-Technical Summary of the Local Plan 2020-2040 Preferred Options (pdf 5.1mb)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Communications Plan for the Local Plan 2020-2040 Preferred Options (pdf 5.1mb)
- Community Impact Assessment (pdf 564kb)
- Privacy Notice - Preferred Options
- Response form (Word version)
- Evidence based documents
- Interactive Policy Map
Draft Policy Map of the Borough and associated Inset Maps
- Stafford Borough Policy Map (pdf 2.3mb)
- Stafford Town Inset Map (pdf 2.7mb)
- Stone Town Inset Map (pdf 2.9mb)
- Meecebrook Inset Map (pdf 536kb)
- Large Settlements Inset Maps (pdf 8.4mb)
- Small Settlements Inset Maps (pdf 15.2mb)
- Recognised Industrial Estates Inset Maps (pdf 3.5mb)
- Major Developed Sites in the Green Belt Inset Maps (pdf 4.7mb)
Associated Documents
Local Plan 2020-2040: Issues and Options stage (February to April 2020)
The Council invited comments on the Issues and Options document (pdf 9.3mb) with the consultation taking place between Monday 3 February and Tuesday 21 April 2020, as well as an Addendum (pdf 263kb) update during that time.
The Local Plan Issues and Options document considered, in detail, a full range of issues facing Stafford Borough and how, through a new strategic policy framework, they might be addressed. Included were the levels of housing and employment land development required over the next 20 years, and how this provision might be distributed across the Borough. Some options included the potential for one or more new garden communities / major urban extensions. Additional topics covered climate change, the economy, housing, transport, viability, health and wellbeing, and the environment of the Borough.
Responses have been processed and the Strategic Planning and Placemaking team took these into account alongside updates to the Local Plan evidence base by the Council prior to publishing the Preferred Options document.
There were a range of documentation and information used to support the Issues and Options consultation, please see below:-
- New Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040 - Issues and Options consultation document (pdf 9.3mb)
- Addendum: Updated Table 5.3 of the New Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040: Issues and Options Report (pdf 263kb)
- Issues and Options Consultation Non-Technical Summary (pdf 5mb)
- Frequently asked questions (pdf 319kb)
- Stakeholder Engagement Plan - Issues and Options Consultation (pdf 330kb)
- Privacy Notice - How we use your personal information
- Evidence base documents
The current Plan for Stafford Borough 2011-2031
The planning policy framework for Stafford Borough is currently provided by the following adopted documents:
- The Plan for Stafford Borough (pdf 15.84mb) (adopted 19 June 2014)
- The Plan for Stafford Borough - Part 2 (pdf 521kb) (adopted 31 January 2017)
Neighbourhood Plans
- Gnosall Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish (made/adopted 24 November 2015)
- Eccleshall Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish (made/adopted 26 July 2016)
- Colwich Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish (made/adopted 22 November 2016)
- Hixon Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish (made/adopted 22 November 2016)
- Barlaston Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish (made/adopted 23 July 2019)
- Stone Town Neighbourhood Plan (made / adopted on 20 July 2021)
Further details on the current Local Plan and its supporting information.
Preparing the New Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040
The new Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040, when completed, will update and replace the Plan currently in use. It will include policies for the development and protection of land and site allocations for new development, or for the re-development of existing buildings. The Local Development Scheme sets out the timetable of activity, that may be updated as the plan progresses, and a Statement of Community Involvement (adopted July 2006) sets out how, when and with whom we consult when preparing the new Stafford Borough Local Plan and associated policy documents.
The Council carried out its Local Plan Review in July 2017 when a consultation on the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report took place. This was then followed, in July 2018, by consultations on the “New Local Plan - Scoping the Issues” and “New Local Plan - Settlement Assessment” documents. Subsequently the “New Local Plan - Issues and Options” consultation took place from February to April 2020.
Details of these and other Local Plan related consultations.
Detailed evidence base studies being gathered for the emerging new Stafford Borough Local Plan 2020-2040.
Contact us
If you have any comments or questions on the Local Plan, or if you wish to be added to our list of contacts to be kept informed of future progress on the Local Plan, please contact us:
- 01785 619000
- strategicplanning@staffordbc.gov.uk