Jobs hope as homes given green light for Gestamp Tallent site
Plans to build nearly 200 homes on the site of a major factory in Cannock have been given the go-ahead by councillors.
Gestamp Tallent, which is now moving its operations to a new £70 million site at Four Ashes, will demolish its current Cannock factory to make way for 180 homes and 30,000 sq ft of employment space.
The car parts manufacturer is one of Cannock’s largest employers and its move to South Staffordshire was considered a blow for the town.
The factory site on Wolverhampton Road will be totally transformed under the plans, making way for the housing development and a huge area of new employment space, potentially bringing hundreds of jobs.
The scheme was unanimously backed by planning committee members at Cannock Chase District Council yesterday, despite concerns locally over noise and traffic.
Will Brearley, of CT Planning, acting on behalf of Gestamp, said at the meeting: “The applicant is fully aware of the housing issues across the country and specifically within the district.
"The staff by-and-large live within Cannock and the surrounding areas.
"Consequently the application is presented this afternoon on the basis of providing five per cent affordable housing. That will be nine affordable dwellings should 180 be built.”
Speaking after the meeting, Sheila Cartwright, committee chairman, said: “I think today if they had not of come up with those nine, they would have refused it again.
“It is great that they have come up with nine of these homes because we need the houses in Cannock Chase.
“There are that many people on the waiting list for social housing.”
Speaking about the five percent of houses offered as affordable houses, a total of nine, councillor Cartwright said they would have liked more but are happy.
She said: “We would have liked more but we are grateful for what we have got. Nine is better than nothing at the end of the day.
“It’s a good thing for Cannock Chase because it is a big work force.”
During the meeting the letter of a nearby resident was read out raising concerns the new homes could bring ‘traffic chaos’ to the area.
It was said the 200 new homes would ‘very seriously affect the volume of traffic and will definitely be detrimental to what is already an extremely busy road’.
