BRINDLEY HEATH PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING
HELD ON TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 2026
AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
MOUNT ROAD, ETCHING HILL

PRESENT:

Parish Councillors: D. Cotton (Chairman)
A. Pearson (Vice Chairman)
P. Adams
M. Sutherland
R. Turville
Mrs M.A. Turville
Mrs S. Pearson

IN ATTENDANCE:

County Councillor P. Jones
Mrs T. Williams (Parish Clerk)

1. APOLOGIES
Apologies were received from County Councillor J. Pendleton.

2. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
To declare interests for this meeting:
Member
Interest
Type

None

3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Two members of the public were present.

4. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
Resolved: The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 25 November 2025 were approved as a correct record.

5. PLANNING OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE PARISH COUNCIL SINCE THE LAST MEETING

Application Number: CH/25/0301 (amendments)
Address: Land at Rugeley Power Station, Armitage Road, Rugeley, WS15 1PL
Development: Approval of reserved matters (layout, scale, appearance and landscaping) for the erection of 547 dwellings (open market and affordable) comprising a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed units, alongside with associated infrastructure, landscaping and open space, pursuant to outline consents 19/00753/OUTMEI (LDC) and CH/19/201 (CCDC) – AMENDED PLANS/ADDITIONAL INFO.

Observations: The Parish Council has no objections and no further comments to add.

6. NEW PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Application Number: CH/25/0254 (Planning Appeal)
Address: 49 Etching Hill Road, Rugeley
Development: Application for Permission in Principle for the erection of 1 or 2 detached dwellings

Observations: The Parish Council asks that the following observations/points of objection are submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, which are in addition to the comments made to Cannock Chase Council, in its representation dated 25 September 2025:

Brindley Heath Parish Council wishes to maintain and reaffirm its objection to the above appeal and urges the Planning Inspectorate to dismiss the appeal for the reasons set out below. These objections are consistent with, and fully support, the decision of Cannock Chase District Council dated 2 October 2025 to refuse Permission in Principle.

1. Harm to the Cannock Chase Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
The Parish Council strongly supports the Local Planning Authority’s conclusion that the proposal fails to comply with Part 2A, Section 5B of the Town and Country Planning (Permission in Principle) Order 2017.

The site lies within the 15km Zone of Influence of the Cannock Chase Special Area of Conservation, where residential development is known to generate increased recreational pressure. The appeal proposal offers no bespoke mitigation measures and is not supported by a signed Unilateral Undertaking or any secured financial contribution towards the Cannock Chase SAC Delivery Implementation Plans.

In the absence of secured mitigation, the proposal would result in unacceptable harm to the integrity of the SAC, contrary to:

• Policy CP13 of the Cannock Chase Local Plan (2014)
• The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
• The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

The Parish Council considers this harm to be fundamental and decisive

2. Inappropriate Development within the Green Belt
The appeal site lies within the West Midlands Green Belt, where there is a clear presumption against inappropriate development.

The proposed erection of one or two detached dwellings constitutes inappropriate development by definition, and the appellant has failed to demonstrate Very Special Circumstances sufficient to outweigh the harm caused to the Green Belt.

The development would erode the openness of the Green Belt and conflict with:

• Local Plan Policies CP3 and CP14
• Section 13 of the NPPF, which places great weight on the protection of Green Belt land

The Parish Council agrees with the Local Planning Authority that the appeal proposal does not justify overriding Green Belt policy protections.

3. Harm to the Cannock Chase National Landscape and Local Character
The site lies within the Cannock Chase National Landscape (formerly AONB), an area afforded the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty.

The proposed development would introduce a tighter and incongruous grain of development, inconsistent with the established rural and spacious character of the West Rugeley: Etching Hill and Springfields area. This would result in a detrimental impact on:

• Rural openness
• Landscape character
• Sense of place

The proposal therefore conflicts with:

• Policies CP3 and CP14 of the Cannock Chase Local Plan
• The NPPF requirement to conserve and enhance designated landscapes

4. Overdevelopment and Insufficient Detail
The Parish Council remains concerned that the proposal represents overdevelopment of a constrained back land site, particularly given the sensitive environmental and landscape designations.

As an application for Permission in Principle, the submission lacks sufficient detail to demonstrate that development could be accommodated without significant harm. This uncertainty weighs against the proposal and reinforces the precautionary approach taken by the Local Planning Authority.

5. Access to Site
There will be no formal access to the two proposed dwellings. The only access is the track off Stafford Brook Road that provides access to converted holiday accommodation at the rear of Westring (49 Etching Hill Road). An old shepherd’s hut was rebuilt and granted planning permission for conversion to a holiday let in 2014 (Planning application CH/14/0133).

6. Impact on Protected Trees
The Parish Council fully supports the Council’s refusal reason relating to Tree Preservation Order 2008/30. The appellant has failed to provide adequate information to assess the impact of development on protected trees.

Without this information, compliance with Local Plan policies and the NPPF cannot be demonstrated, and the risk of irreversible environmental harm remains unaddressed.

Conclusion
Brindley Heath Parish Council considers that the appeal proposal:

• Conflicts with adopted local and national planning policy
• Would cause harm to protected habitats, the Green Belt, and the National Landscape
• Lacks essential mitigation and supporting information

The Parish Council therefore respectfully requests that the Planning Inspector dismiss the appeal and uphold the decision of Cannock Chase District Council.

7. PLANNING DECISIONS MADE BY THE COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCIL

No planning decisions had been received.

8. UPDATES ON OTHER PLANNING MATTERS
There were no updates on planning matters on this occasion.

9. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next Planning Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday 24 March 2026.

The meeting will be held at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Mount Road, Etching Hill.

Chairman…………………………………………..

Date……………………………………………………