Councillor resigns over homes plan
CONTROVERSIAL plans for hundreds of new homes have been thrown into disarray by the resignation of a leading councillor from the group overseeing future developments.
Councillor Stephen Ellis, below right, has quit as chairman and as a member of the Local Development Framework working party for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. The Cheadle councillor resigned, amid claims he was undermined by council leader Sybil Ralphs.
Mr Ellis, who is cabinet member for planning and development on the district council, was responsible for drawing up the Local Development Framework, which shapes the future of the Moorlands until 2026.
Under Government guidelines, the authority needs to find land to accommodate 1,035 homes in Cheadle.
But a proposal to build 700 homes at Mobberley Farm, Cheadle, was vetoed by Ms Ralphs after a storm of protests from residents.
The proposed allocation was then switched to the Oakamoor Road and Rakeway Road areas of the town and unleashed a further public outcry.
Last week Ms Ralphs publicly declared she would not support large-scale housing development in Cheadle – even though development land has to be found.
Conservative Mr Ellis refused to comment on his resignation, but supporters said his position had been made 'untenable' by the council leader's stance.
Opposition leader Linda Malyon said: "The long knives are out and I feel Stephen has been stabbed in the back.
"The leader has totally belittled him. If you give someone a job, you should let them get on with it and not interfere.
"The Local Development Framework is in a right mess."
Council leader Ms Ralphs denied claims the Local Development Framework is in disarray.
She said: "I am grateful for Stephen having chaired the party, but his resignation will make no difference to the project. The group only had one meeting left and all of the work has been done. The Biddulph section is complete, the Leek section is complete, it is just Cheadle which is the sticking point. We have some decisions to make on the numbers and also on the infrastructure. I am still not convinced the number of houses being talked about for Cheadle is the correct amount."
The authority also needs to find land for 1,119 homes in Leek and 918 in Biddulph in the plan, which needs to be submitted to the secretary of state for the Department for Communities and Local Government by the summer.
3 Comments
by Cllr Stephen Ellis, Cheadle
Thursday, February 11 2010, 9:46PM
“Erm ... we weren't responsible for the parking charges! We opposed them but the fight was lost. Unless we can now find in excess of £400K every year, that decision can't easily be reversed.
As for the housing, the demand comes from single occupancy households, a growing elderly population, immigration and an increased birth rate. The UK population is expected to rise by 5 million by 2026 based on current trends. Over the last 2 decades we've built 3,000 new homes per decade in the Staffs Moorlands - and this is unlikley to change. In Cheadle, we've built over 1,500 - but there are only 74 empty properties which shows these are being occupied.
New land has been allocated for industrial and employment use within the Local Plan.
Create the demand and you'll create the supply. We've put in place plans for physical infrastructure to be delivered with the phased delivery of development.
The only people who ever object to housing are those that already own a property. There are 2,500 people now on our housing waiting list plus a growing army of young people from the local area who are moving out to find cheaper property. Under these plans, 40% of new hosuing will be affordable and will be capped - specifically to support local people and families.
I more than anyone appreciate it's not easy and it's not popular - but it has to be done.”
by Stuart, Cheadle
Tuesday, February 02 2010, 1:53PM
“Under Government guidelines, the authority needs to find land to accommodate 1,035 homes in Cheadle.
So why is this then? I totally agree with Anon Cheadle. I would just ask where are all these people coming from and more to the point, where are they going to be working?
Who works out these ridiculous figures in the first place?”
by Anon, Cheadle
Tuesday, February 02 2010, 12:22PM
“Unbelievable is the word. 1,035 homes in Cheadle? The infrastructure can hardly cope with the towns population as it is, the doctors surgeries are overstretched, the roads are in poor condition as well as destroying green belt and our surrounding field networks. Are these homes open for general sale i.e first time buyers or for housing associations and councils to give away?! Seriously Ms Ralphs, use your noodle and listen to the people of Cheadle, we dont want any large scale developments, this appears to be poorly thought out as per usual. I think our planning committee needs to wake up, ignore "government figures" and preserve Cheadle for the 'Historic Market Town' is it, not some satellite town housing estate.
Whatever next......parking charges for the car park....OH WAIT.....you've already done that.”