Posted on Friday 2nd December 2022
Philip White
Penkridge residents can have their say on how development there could progress over the next three decades to incorporate county council land.
An online consultation is now open to gauge people’s views on whether land to the west of Penkridge could be used for future housing development.
This could include a new road around the village which would improve its centre for leisure and recreation by taking most through traffic away. In addition, there could be better connections between the railway station and centre of Penkridge and pedestrian and cycle routes.
The Penkridge 2050 website offers some ideas on how the village could grow sustainably and address the challenges and opportunities facing South Staffordshire district and the parish over the next 30 years.
Like every district and borough across the county, South Staffordshire Council has a duty to find sites for future housing development. Penkridge has good transport links and is close to employment areas.
While the emerging South Staffordshire Local Plan proposes new housing for Penkridge up to 2038, this is unlikely to include the county council land at this stage. It could be considered in subsequent years.
People can visit the website and have their say at: www.penkridge2050.co.uk
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said:
There is an ongoing need for new housing across the UK and our district and boroughs have a duty to identify areas for development as part of their local plans.
Penkridge is a thriving community with excellent transport links and as such could accommodate additional housing in the coming years, together with supporting facilities and infrastructure. This could include a new road around the village to remove through traffic from its centre – making it a more attractive place to live, work and visit. We do understand issues caused by heavy traffic along the A449, particularly when there are problems on the M6.
County council-owned land could be incorporated into future plans, most likely after 2038, though this will depend on views locally and steer from both the parish and district councils.
It is important to note that proposals included in this consultation are only concepts for consideration – they are not fixed and have no planning status.”