500-home scheme gets green light

City of Stoke-on-Trent Council has approved plans for a housing development in Hanford.

Stoke-based developer Oak-Ngate has been granted permission to build up to 500 homes on a 161-acre site off New Inn Lane.

The scheme will contribute to The City of Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s proposed joint local plan to deliver 27,800 new homes by 2033.

The first phase of 29 homes, including a mix of four and five-bedroom family homes, has received full planning permission, while outline permission has been granted for a further 471 dwellings, a new primary school, a health centre, highways improvement works and open space.

The proposed development will feature over 50 acres of green space, which will include the addition of new recreational pathways, cycle and running routes and nature and fitness trails for community use. Existing woodland and wetlands and a sports ground at the site will also see improvements.

The new scheme will generate investment in highways improvements to the ‘Hanford Roundabout’ (A34/A500) junction and at the Mayne Street/A34 junction, which will help to decrease traffic in the area.

Work on the first phase of homes is expected to begin in August 2020, and the wider development is expected to be completed over the next 10 years.

Managing director at Oak-Ngate, Don Craven, said: “We believe that our development plans will create a real asset for the community.

“As well as helping to meet demand for new family homes in the region, this development will feature sizeable amounts of green space and facilities for both existing members of the community and the new development to use.

“This is a low density scheme which has been designed to be sympathetic to its surroundings and to provide an attractive new neighbourhood.

“We’re committed to providing Hanford with high-quality new homes and we’re looking forward to seeing the site transform over the coming years.”