Cameron Homes has submitted an outline planning application to Lichfield District Council for a 20 Ha development of up to 430 homes and community facilities, located off Highfields Road in Chasetown, within the Staffordshire town of Burntwood. The £150m grey belt scheme would revitalise the former mining village and make a significant contribution to the District’s housing needs.
Bounded by Pavior’s Road, Highfields Road and the M6 Toll, the expansive site is currently inaccessible to the public and considered ‘grey belt’ under the Government’s new national planning policy. Cameron Homes proposes opening up the land for new on-site public open space, children’s play areas, significant wildlife habitats and further biodiversity enhancements. Highways improvements and new pedestrian and cycle links are also planned, to create family-focused recreation routes, alongside sustainable drainage features.
12.6 Ha of the 20 Ha site is proposed for energy-efficient new homes, 80% of which would be two- storey houses. The remainder would be 2.5 storeys to add variety to street scenes. 185 of the 430 plots are designated for affordable housing, which is 15% above the Council’s current policy requirement.
Pre-application discussions and a public consultation process have helped to shape the planning application. Pegasus has undertaken the masterplanning and planning consultancy services for Cameron Homes, whose head office is located in the same village as the development site. Having been based in Chasetown for over 30 years, Cameron Homes, Tara Group and the Noel Sweeney Foundation are already hugely invested in this community and the wider Burntwood parish.
Over the past four years, the Group has donated £330,000 to community projects in the immediate area, with a focus on tackling homelessness and young people most in need of support.
Kate Tait, group strategic land and planning director for Cameron Homes, said:
“This grey belt site is currently inaccessible, unutilised land in a highly sustainable location, where bus routes, schooling and high street amenities are within easy walking distance.
“Chasetown has a long history as a mining village, but with the last mine here closing down in 1959, this large site presents a compelling opportunity to deliver energy-efficient aspirational homes,while also providing new amenity space, Highways improvements and extensive green infrastructure. Our £150m plans would create hundreds of construction jobs, revitalise the area and deliver benefits for the whole community.
“Lichfield District Council has a significant Housing Land Supply shortfall, with Burntwood needing to accommodate 1,350 new dwellings by 2029. Strategic proposals like this are required to meet the local demand for new housing. We will continue to work alongside Officers, Councillors and consultees while this planning application is considered.”
The site occupies a highly accessible location, next to Chasewater Country Park and Heritage Railway. Moments from the national motorway network, the site is five miles from Cannock Chase Hospital, Lichfield city centre and its train station, which offers frequent regional and national services. Central Birmingham is 14 miles away.
The main vehicular access is proposed off Highfields Road, with new pedestrian and cycle links connecting existing walking, cycling and public transport networks, to support active travel. Erasmus Darwin Academy, Chase Terrace Academy, and Ridgeway Primary Academy are all located within a mile of the development.
Cameron Homes’ planning application has emerged through a landscape-led placemaking strategy, ensuring that the existing boundary features are retained and enhanced. Surface water run-off would be managed through a sustainable drainage system, which will incorporate a variety of features to provide ecological and water quality benefits. The site has physical and visual separation from Brownhills to the south, due to the M6 Toll, which provides a strong barrier to prevent urban sprawl.
The latest Future Homes Standard green energy features will be incorporated into the plans for this scheme, with a very high EPC rating targeted. The five-star HBF housebuilder’s specification includes Smart Hive thermostats, electric vehicle car chargers, and solar PV panels. The company is currently delivering over 200 homes across 11 live developments and has a pipeline of future sites expected to deliver circa 1,000 new homes.