A new neighbourhood for Tamworth

The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis where people are growing up in areas where they will be unable to afford a home if the shortage of homes is not addressed. This is for many reasons, including inflation and the growing older population.

As a result, it’s easy to see that the dream of having an affordable place of your own to live and work risks being out of reach for a whole generation of local families. It is important to also acknowledge the older generation who are struggling to find a home to meet their changing needs. Without urgent action to deliver more suitable homes that people can afford, this problem will only get worse and more local people will be priced out of where they grew up.

Ashlands has the potential to meet these needs, featuring a broad range of house sizes and tenures to cater for every need plus the access to facilities people need for day-to-day living and recreation.

The site has a single vehicular access off Ashby Road. We understand that there has been some concern from site neighbours about potential for vehicular access from Coltsfoot Close. Whilst we have spoken with Tamworth Borough Council about opportunities for walking and cycling connections from our site, we are not proposing any vehicular access via Coltsfoot Close as part of our proposals.

Ensuring sensitivity to the environment is paramount in our approach. We aim to design the development to complement the existing environment, providing a net gain in biodiversity for the community’s enjoyment. During consultations, we welcome ideas on wildlife features. Enhancements include creating wildlife corridors, habitats, and extensive new planting. Detailed site assessments will accompany future planning applications to manage any impacts effectively.

Regenerating brownfield land is crucial for new housing, but meeting housing demands requires building in diverse locations. Our plans will address local housing needs on a viable site, providing open market and affordable homes with necessary infrastructure. Developing this site also helps Tamworth Borough Council show sufficient land supply for new homes.

We are still exploring opportunities for the open space on the site and want to hear your thoughts on what we can do to provide an area that benefits the community. This could include spaces for play or an informal recreation ground.

The site can be well connected to the existing road network. The project team recognise that further new homes in the area will require a review of highways capacity, however the plans will be designed to encourage sustainable and active travel opportunities for both new and existing residents to reduce the impact of commuting on the road network. This will include new pathways for cyclists and pedestrians as well as improvements to existing connections.

We will be working closely with Staffordshire County Council as the local highways authority in relation to traffic movement and impact on the surrounding road network. Future planning applications will also be accompanied by detailed transport impact assessments to ensure that any impact can be managed effectively.

As part of the planning process, we will be proactively engaging with relevant bodies to determine what is needed to mitigate the impact of this development on local facilities. Following these conversations, we will then agree a funding package that will directly address these needs and help support key services like schools and GP practices.

We recognise that this is a concern locally and the assessments in our drainage strategy will be based on information drawn from various sources, including direct conversations with Severn Trent Water. As part of the plans we will have to take into account the cumulative capacity and impact and that will inform how our drainage strategy evolves.

The proposals will need to take into account the existing situation, including other developments in the area. We have appointed transport consultants to advise us on all highways matters and we are also looking at ways to encourage more sustainable transport by investing in walking and cycling infrastructure that could reduce or remove vehicle movements.

It is not. The site was previously a draft allocation as part of a larger site, but this was subsequently removed from the Local Plan. We are now working to promote this site through Tamworth Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan.

The site sits within Tamworth Borough Council, so Section 106 contributions will generally go towards measures needed within the borough. However, it is important to note that contributions towards highways and education are ultimately set by Staffordshire County Council. Funding will also be provided through CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) towards the delivery of new infrastructure locally. This could include sports and recreation facilities, transport initiatives, or something else.

This is something that we are keenly aware of. We have heritage consultants on the team, and we are taking account of the site’s relationship to the Hall and the conservation area. One of the elements we are looking to deliver is a landscape buffer that sets back development to ensure a sensitive edge that faces onto Amington Hall and conservation area.

Highways safety is an integral consideration. Our proposals will be informed by speed surveys along Ashby Road and that will inform any speed or other mitigation measures required.

Assessments were conducted in the early stages of the proposals and looked at the situation as relates to all utilities. The information that we received from these assessments has then been utilised by Bloor’s team of in-house engineers to understand capacity and help shape the proposals.

The scheme will include affordable housing, though the exact nature of that will be informed by discussions with Tamworth Borough Council’s housing officer. These conversations will help us to understand the specific needs of the area and ensure that our scheme helps to address that need.

We are exploring opportunities to create a link from the main access from Ashby Road through to the south of the site to connect with existing pedestrian and cycle routes. We are also considering options for enhancing connections to the Anker Valley public right of way.