The green fields of Mount Road will be lost forever unless local people act now
Background
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is continuing the process of putting together its Local Plan to cover the period from 2017 to 2031. This will shape the development of the district over the next 14 years. It is currently consulting the public on where to locate around 1,000 new houses in Leek. The document follows on from the Options Consultation undertaken during the Summer of 2015 and the Preferred Options Sites and Boundaries Consultation in April to June 2016. As part of this process, sites in and on the edges of Leek will be ‘allocated’ for residential development – effectively granting them outline planning permission. The majority of sites are on the eastern side of Leek and planning officers are now recommending that 4 Mount Road sites be allocated for around 317 houses.
This means that The Mount is now doomed unless local people let the council know how highly valued it is by Friday 22nd September 2017. Your local councillors will ultimately decide which sites are allocated but you have to act now to make sure they realise how important The Mount is to the people of Leek.
On the map below the sites are coloured in pink (denoting a 'Preferred Housing Allocation'). The purple line is the existing town boundary. The green areas represent public open space and the purple 'S' denotes the approximate location of a new primary school.
This means that The Mount is now doomed unless local people let the council know how highly valued it is by Friday 22nd September 2017. Your local councillors will ultimately decide which sites are allocated but you have to act now to make sure they realise how important The Mount is to the people of Leek.
On the map below the sites are coloured in pink (denoting a 'Preferred Housing Allocation'). The purple line is the existing town boundary. The green areas represent public open space and the purple 'S' denotes the approximate location of a new primary school.
Can I make a difference?
The short answer is yes. If you do nothing else, formally object to the proposals (see the Object page on this website for more details). This can be done online, by email or by post. Sheer weight of numbers will leave councillors with little choice but to find other sites.
What else can I do?
The short answer is yes. If you do nothing else, formally object to the proposals (see the Object page on this website for more details). This can be done online, by email or by post. Sheer weight of numbers will leave councillors with little choice but to find other sites.
What else can I do?
- 'Like' the Facebook page 'Save The Mount' - there are some stunning photos on there (although please note that this is no substitute for formally objecting!)
- Speak to your local Councillors to make sure they are representing your views and fighting your corner
- Send a letter to the Leek Post
- Send a letter to Karen Bradley, the MP for Staffordshire Moorlands