PROTESTORS DEMAND NEW GP SURGERY BEFORE 157 HOMES ARE BUILT:
Campaigners also want road survey and more school places
FAMILIES are demanding more local services before 157 houses are built in their area.
They want a new doctors’ surgery and extra school places created after failing to stop the controversial housing development on the site of the former Chatterley Whitfield sports ground, off Biddulph Road, in Fegg Hayes.
And they want a more thorough assessment regarding the potential impact of an extra 300 cars on the area’s roads before anyone is allowed to live in the homes.
Members of Stoke-ontrent City Council’s planning committee initially threw out the development in August 2020 after raising concerns over the ‘tiny’ size of the properties.
But developer Keepmoat Homes returned with a revised plan – including a contribution to local healthcare services of £32,224 – and the scheme was approved last December.
The developer had already agreed to pay £92,244 towards extra school places – despite local education bosses requesting a sum of more than £500,000.
Fegg Hayes Residents’ Association chairman, Sue Akkurt, said: “To my knowledge, Keepmoat has not physically surveyed the roads, they’ve done a digital modelling which isn’t good enough. Our roads can’t cope with an extra 300 cars, it’s already very busy.
“Our schools are full, what will they do about that?
“The doctors are over subscribed and our area’s infrastructure can’t take another 157 homes worth of people.
“The hydrobrake under the estate, which has had historic problems with sewage and flooding, will not be sufficient and we are concerned it will flood the A527 as we have had a lot of freak weather over the past few years, including storms and heavy rains.”
Keepmoat Homes is looking forward to starting building work on the site.
A spokesman said: “We listened and responded to the comments made in the August 2020 planning committee and, as such, we were delighted when we got planning approval for our development at the subsequent planning committee in December.
“We look forward to building out the development in line with the approved plans in due course.”