Planning application sent to secretary of state

Councillors have turned down proposals to build 150 new homes on the edge of a rural Stafford Borough village – but the decision will now be referred to the Government.

A new national planning direction that came into force earlier this year means that any refusals of applications for 150 or more houses or flats must go forward to the Secretary of State.

This rule applies to plans for a housing development on land off Green Road, Weston, that was considered by Stafford Borough Council's planning committee on Wednesday (28 October). 

The application had been recommended for approval by council officers, but planning committee members voted to refuse permission on the grounds of loss of agricultural land and building density.