Councillors have been told they are allowing Lichfield to become encircled by new housing estates.
The comments came from Lichfield Civic Society following a report recommending approval for a housing scheme off Cricket Lane.
The subject of new homes has hit the headlines recently as Lichfield District Council embark on the Local Plan 2040 which identifies strategic housing allocations over the next two decades.
| Strategic housing allocations | Approximate number of new homes |
| Land to the north-east of Lichfield | 3,300 |
| Land West of Fazeley | 800 |
| Land off Huddlesford Lane, Whittington | 75 |
| Land off Hay End Lane, Fradley | 500 |
Strategic Housing Allocations – Lichfield District Council’s Local Plan 2040
However, proposals to build on the land at Cricket Lane formed part of the current Local Plan.
A spokesperson for Lichfield Civic Society said this meant that stopping the scheme now was all but impossible.
“This part of the site was allocated for housing in the current local plan.
“The development is now an inevitability.
“Slowly, the council are ensuring that the city is encircled by new housing estates – the review of the Local Plan, now underway, proposes to add more.”
Lichfield Civic Society spokesperson
“An area of high demand for housing”
Alongside the strategic housing allocations, the Local Plan 2040 includes information on how many homes will be built from 2018 through to the end of the period covered by the document.
In total, 9,727 new homes will be built – but it also highlights how that figure could potentially rise to more than 13,000.
| Location | Net completed dwellings (01/04/2018 – 31/3/2020) | Committed supply of dwellings (at 1/4/2020) | Strategic housing allocations | Total |
| Lichfield city | 741 | 3,304 | 3,300 | 7,345 |
| Burntwood | 172 | 400 | 0 | 572 |
| East of Rugeley | 0 | 800 | 0 | 800 |
| North of Tamworth | 83 | 1,000 | 0 | 1,083 |
| Alrewas | -8 | 169 | 0 | 161 |
| Armitage with Handsacre | -4 | 204 | 0 | 200 |
| Fazeley, Mile Oak and Bonehill | 7 | 130 | 800 | 937 |
| Fradley | 189 | 966 | 500 | 1,655 |
| Shenstone | 0 | 55 | 0 | 55 |
| Whittington | 1 | 20 | 75 | 96 |
| Other rural | 140 | 262 | 0 | 402 |
| TOTAL | 1,321 | 7,310 | 4,675 | 13,306 |
The Local Plan 2040 says the “buffer” would ensure enough housing could be built over the period.
“Lichfield district has historically been, and remains, an area of high demand for housing which is driven by our resident population and by in migration into the district often from higher-income households.
“This has resulted in house prices which are higher than the average both nationally and in the wider West Midlands.
“Lichfield district will continue to be an area of housing growth which will be achieved in ways which protect the living standards and environment of our current residents as well as those people moving to the area.
“This ‘buffer’ provides flexibility in the housing supply across the plan period which will ensure that should circumstances change and a development is not delivered – or is delivered at a slower rate than anticipated – the housing requirement is still delivered.”
Lichfield District Council’s draft Local Plan 2040
