Stoke-on-Trent City Council's ruling cabinet has decided to allow 816 homes to be built on council-owned farmland in Packmoor, a decision that has sparked strong opposition from residents and campaigners.
The farmland covers 200 acres of greenfield land, most of which is currently tenanted by farmers. The council consulted residents on several options for the site, including proposals for as many as 1,200 homes, or leaving the land undeveloped.
Community anger at the decision
Campaigner Darren Bamford, who fought to keep the land protected from development, described the decision as "absolutely gut wrenching".
"I'm filled with sadness, anger, frustration - ultimately it will forever change Packmoor," he said.
The decision has generated significant local opposition. A petition against the development has attracted 1,300 signatures, and residents have protested outside council meetings. The strength of feeling has been so intense that it has caused a split within the city council itself. David Mountford, who represents the Great Chell and Packmoor ward, defected from the Labour Party to join the new Potteries Party, describing the decision on social media as the result of "top-down politics".
Bamford claimed he felt let down by elected officials, including the local Labour MP. He also argued that residents were planning a legal challenge, and suggested the council had shaped the consultation to achieve a "desired outcome".
Council defends the decision
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, the cabinet member for regeneration, defended the move, saying the site is "one of the most deliverable and develop-erable".
"It would be remiss of us to ignore it and exclude it," he said.
Gordon-McCusker argued that the council had listened to residents' concerns about losing green space by limiting the development to 816 homes, which would affect only about 30% of the greenfield land.
He said the decision must be viewed in the context of the city council's wider housing target. The authority is working to deliver 948 properties a year by 2029 to meet the government's housing target of 1.5 million homes. Gordon-McCusker also referenced the city's housing waiting list, which stands at 3,000 people.