What will happen to The Mount? The development of a number of sites (and over 300 houses) along The Mount as proposed will lead to significant urbanisation. From what is essentially a quiet country lane at present, it would become a wider road with street lights and much more traffic, linking the Ashbourne and Buxton roads. The sites that are built on would probably have pavements constructed in front of them but any remaining sections would not, meaning they are no longer safe to walk and cycle given higher traffic volumes. Important long distance views across the Leek skyline and further afield would also be lost due to the new houses being located close to the road. Mount Road as we know it would be lost forever.
Suggested grounds for objection
What you can say Most concerns are material planning objections. The most important thing is to make your views known. Tell the council why you value The Mount. Sheer weight of numbers of objections are important. If hundreds of people object the councillors will have to listen. However, if you need some ideas, below are some pointers:
Loss of a much valued walking and cycling route on the edge of town which is enjoyed by people across the town.
The Mount is effectively an evenly surfaced public footpath which is accessible to all - walkers, cyclists, pushchairs, wheelchairs
Loss of an important local amenity – the Mount is a very important community asset and should be treated like a park or recreation ground rather than simply a road (which is how the planners seem to view it).
Loss of important long distance views - The Mount provides important and highly valued panoramic views across the Leek skyline and further afield.
Mount Road is on the route of the Staffordshire Moorlands Walk – a very popular route for leisure activities such as walking, cycling and jogging
The spatial distribution of proposed sites across Leek is unbalanced - there will not be sufficient demand to build all of these houses on one side of town so the council will not meet its housing needs in any event
What you can't say The following are not material planning objections:
Effect on property prices
Effect private views (i.e. from your bedroom window or private garden)
How to object
You will need to quote the site reference number(s) on the map (e.g. LE128 etc) then there are the following options:
Online - Click the link on the image above or Search “Staffs Moorlands Preferred Options Local Plan" or go to www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/localplan or