Plans for 30 new homes to be built on land have been approved.
The development off Burton Road in Streethay had been the subject of concerns from local residents over the impact on local traffic.
But members of Lichfield District Council’s planning committee voted 10-1 in favour of the scheme on the empty plot of land.
Cllr Harry Warburton, Conservative member for Whittington and Streethay, told a meeting of the committee he had concerns that the full highways picture was not being considered.
“The biggest concern for me is not the houses, it’s the traffic.
“The traffic plan doesn’t seem to fit in with what I know of Burton Road. It’s a very busy road that no-one wants in their constituency – it’s a 30mph road that everyone does 40mph on and is used as a runway onto the A38.
“It only has a very narrow pavement on one side. If you walk to the play area you do it with your heart in your mouth.
“The accident report only goes back five years when we’ve had road closures, building in the area and Covid – and now it’s partially shut.
“If the traffic survey was done when the road was shut, it isn’t right. Pre-Covid it could take 40 minutes to get from Burton Old Road to get into a meeting at the District Council House.
“We have to look at traffic as it was and not as it is – we currently have serenity because half of the road is shut.”
Cllr Harry Warburton, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Warburton added that the cumulative impact of recent developments in and around Streethay were not being fully considered.
“I know the site is within the Local Plan and that the houses are the houses, but the thing agitating everyone is that this road is getting busier and busier.
“We have 200 houses coming on a nearby site at the roundabout and the care home on the new development. There’s also talk of a new Marks and Spencer and Aldi. All these thins have to have traffic plans and they can’t just be separate. There’s also the Liberty Park site that will have traffic.
“As a councillor, I’ve never seen a comprehensive travel plan for East Lichfield and Streethay.”
Cllr Harry Warburton, Lichfield District Council
But Christopher Timothy, planning agent for the applicant, said the development – which had been reduced from initial proposals – had not met with objections from the highways department.
“The application site is allocated in the Local Plan. To allay Cllr Warburton’s concerns, that was adopted in July 2019 prior to Covid and would have been subject to scrutiny on highways.
“The development isn’t going to achieve the 38 properties as indicated in the Local Plan. Instead it will be 30 due to the fact we need to take account of pipework to the water treatment works and provide on site balancing for surface water.
“The application is accompanied by a transport assessment in accordance with the requirements of Staffordshire Highways. Unusually for an application of this size, it’s also had a road safety audit produced. All of those have resorted in highways supporting this application.
“The applicants have agreed to provide a controlled pedestrian phase to the existing traffic light junction – there will be a significant improvement on road safety from that which will have a calming effect on traffic.
“I understand the concerns of residents and the parish council – that’s why so much effort has gone into addressing those concerns.”
Christopher Timothy, CT Planning
Housing mix
Cllr Jeyan Anketell, Labour representative for Stowe ward, voted against the planned development. He told the meeting he had concerns over the types of property on the site.
“I’m happy to have more houses, but I’m not happy with the mix.
“The policy says we should have 87% of one, two and three bedrooms, but the actual total here is 73%.
“There is a shortage of affordable houses and we desperately need more affordable houses.”
Cllr Jeyan Anketell, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Thomas Marshall, chair of the committee, said that while the policy targets were right to aimed at it would not always be possible to hit them.
“It’s very difficult to always follow religiously the aspiration we have for the housing mix. There will always be slight deviations.
“Personally, I wouldn’t wish to be too pedantic on this. It’s quiet a nice development that will provide decent housing for 30 families or individuals.”
Cllr Thomas Marshall, Lichfield District Council
