A drop-in public information event on work being planned to prepare a key development site as part of a major regeneration scheme in Stafford is taking place next week.
The county council-owned land off Doxey Road will form part of the Stafford Station Gateway project, bringing proposed new homes and businesses to the area. This scheme is a partnership between the borough council and county council.
The former Saint Gobain manufacturing site was acquired by the county council in 2018 as part of the now-completed Stafford Western Access Route Scheme. Industrial buildings there were demolished to make way for future regeneration.
Before any development can take place, this former industrial land of around 15 acres needs to be remediated to make it suitable for future development. To support these works, Stafford Borough Council secured £20million from the Government, with up to £16.5million allocated to the Doxey Road works.
A public information event will take place at St Thomas & St Andrews Church, Doxey Road, Stafford, ST16 1EQ on Friday 27 February between 3pm and 7pm. People can view the drawings and ask the project team any questions.
The event will provide information and an opportunity to provide comments about the proposed land preparation and reclamation work in advance of a planning application that will be submitted in March for these site remediation works to take place towards the end of 2026 or early 2027. A further planning application for the longer-term end use and development for the site will follow once land reclamation works are complete by March 2028.
Martin Murray, acting leader at Staffordshire County Council said:
"We’d encourage local residents to come to the drop-in event to find out more and ask any questions about the proposed land reclamation works on this key development site. This event is focused on the immediate land preparation works, not the longer-term development. There will be consultation on this at a later stage.
“This is a significant area of the regeneration site close to the western access route and the railway. Through remediation, the site can be developed but this does take time. As a major partner, we’re pleased to see this critical early phase start and we will of course keep nearby communities and businesses up to date with plans and progress.”
Aidan Godfrey, Leader of Stafford Borough Council, said:
“The Stafford Station Gateway project is another part of that overall vision to transform the county town, and the work underway on this key site will provide the catalyst for further progress of our ambitious plans. I hope people will take the opportunity to attend this event and find out more on the proposed land preparation and reclamation work.
“The money we have already attracted to support regeneration of our town is testament to the confidence that investors and the government have in us, and our partners, being able to deliver significant growth in the area.”
Local communities and businesses will be consulted and kept up to date throughout the trial works and main land preparation works next year.
Further information is available on the project’s webpage and people can also direct their comments or queries to doxeyreclamation@staffordshire.gov.uk.
