A COUNCILLOR says residents in Burntwood have shown they will not “quietly accept the scraps” after a masterplan for the town was drawn up.
An £80,000 report exploring regeneration options has been created on behalf of Lichfield District Council.
It highlights how areas such as Sankey’s Corner could be revamped into a new retail area.
A further £1.2million has been earmarked for regeneration projects in the town.
Cllr Andrew Clissett, Reform UK representative for Burntwood North at Staffordshire County Council said that the decision to embark on a broader plan for regeneration rather than a short-term facelift was welcome.
He said:
“The community has spoken after they thought we would quietly accept the scraps.
“By exposing the divide and refusing to let taxpayer money be used for temporary facelifts on private buildings, we have forced the district council to finally step up and put serious money on the table for Sankey’s Corner and our town centre.
”Let’s be realistic, though. An £80,000 budget for a masterplan is still a long way off the £900,000 being handed to Lichfield city. In reality, £80,000 might just about get us a new Sankey’s car park surface.
“But it is a vital step forward, and it is the key that unlocks the much larger £1.2million pot. The beautiful rendering of a reimagined Oak pub shows the kind of structural ambition Burntwood finally deserves.”
A study from a consultancy group on behalf of Lichfield District Council outlined three options for Sankey’s Corner – refurbishing, remodelling or redevelopment.
But a report warned that the local authority’s ownership of land in the area was “very limited” and that a “proactive land assembly approach” would be needed.
Cllr Clissett said he was keen to ensure that the masterplan aims were delivered.
”A plan on paper is just that – paper. I will be watching them like a hawk to ensure this £1.2million is actually delivered and that this isn’t just an empty promise.”
But Cllr Steve Norman, Labour representative for the Chase Terrace ward at Lichfield District Council and Burntwood Town Council, said Cllr Clissett should focus on addressing issues within the county council rather than trying to claim credit for local initiatives brought about by others.
He said:
“It is quite an amazing attempt by Burntwood North’s new Reform county councillor Clissett to claim credit – again – for something he has had no part in.
“His predecessor, Conservative Mike Wilcox, and Burntwood’s Labour district and town councillors worked have together on the Burntwood Masterplan through 2024 and 2025 before he was even elected to reduce taxes.
“He also opposed the small amount of money that is available to councillors to carry out some temporary cosmetic work in the interim – and in fact had demanded legal action on the owners of the shop which has got nowhere, as we all knew.
“Some of the clean and green funding we had for Chase Terrace we have used to clean the chevrons on the county council’s traffic island as you enter Burntwood from the west. I hope he will not try to claim credit for that too.
“His time might be better spent challenging his own county council’s actions such as no objection from the highways and education departments for the Coulter Lane planning application.”
