Road across the popular Greenway?

This is the Greenway, the former Stafford to Wellington (Shropshire) railway line. It runs west from near Stafford town centre.

Looking west towards Derrington

Sadly it seems that the ongoing Burleyfields development is going to encroach here. It is hard to get up to date local authority plans as the last one seems to be from 2015. I’ve already commented on concerns about drainage and flooding.  Although attenuation or balancing lakes are being added the water runs off the gentle slopes here at pace. The developers are addressing this by cutting channels in the mud and adding straw bales at intervals in an attempt to reduce the runoff of sludge and sediment.  When they leave the problem will remain especially as they’re artificially raising levels so new builds are just out of the flood plain.

Road here?

Unless plans have changed a new road will cross this Greenway which is a shame considering this is a bridlepath and walking and cycling route. The above pic shows the view north where the Burleyfields development will connect with many more houses behind Doxey Church. Hedges have been cut back in readiness.

View towards Burleyfields

Instead of cutting this popular route with a road access should be from the Doxey Road instead. I think this is a mistake by planners adding to other problems.

The plans are here but already differ from what has been built. https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/cme/DocMan1/Planning%20Policy/Plan%20for%20Stafford%20Borough/Burleyfields-Masterplan.pdf

There are other designs but they’re clearly labelled as sketches for reference only.

A school is planned which would be good news but it’s difficult to see exactly where.

Christmas (already) in Stafford

Last week the Christmas lights were turned on in Stafford. I love Christmas and the time it brings to see family and friends and enjoy good food and drink (sorry for the unoriginal thought) but when it’s time! It does get earlier and earlier.

Driven by profit Christmas begins almost as soon as Halloween is done with poor old Guido Fawkes almost unnoticed these days.

Minced pie lattes, foreign holidays, phones that can mow your lawn and something called Black Friday are thrown at us from November 1.

At that time there’s almost 2 months of work still to negotiate. Waterstones and Caffè Nero are playing chintzy Christmas tunes and you can’t move for celebrities with lush beards, glinting white teeth and ice white trainers flogging their memoirs.

It’s no wonder people go running for the refuge that is Dickens. Scrooge grumbling and Fezziwig dancing always win hands down.

I’ll be joining in when I’m ready but whatever works for you I hope you’re having fun. In the meantime here’s a few shots of Stafford.

The newly opened and paved Market Square

Market Square from Greengate St

Ultimutt

The dog is happy to break rank and begin celebrating with the wonderfully named Ultimutt Mince Pies.

A pic from last year with the 18th century Shire Hall

For Sale: New House with Swimming Pool

Following on from my last post here’s the building site. We have had heavy rain but nothing like Scotland and other parts of the UK and yet the lane is like a stream.

Flooding is a serious issue here but still they continue to plan inadequately.

So if you’re keen on a new build 4 bed you currently get a swimming pool thrown in for free.

Four days after and they’re pumping floodwater from one field into another. This land will continue to flood but they’ll build on it regardless.

Dead hedgerows

I’ve written about the development of Burleyfields, to the west of Stafford town centre, before. I return as much as anything to bookmark a little of this disappearing landscape. I understand the need for houses, but surely we need 2- and 3-bedroom properties as starter homes rather than the 4-beds being built. It’s sad to see ancient hedgerows swept away (as below) and although there have been many saplings planted they will take decades to reach maturity and replace the habitats lost.

There is also a flooding problem to the west of town. Although Doxey Marshes act as an effective sponge there has always been runoff from the farm fields sloping down from Stafford Castle. There is now little or no greenery and, except for the isolated oaks and hawthorn alongside a bridlepath, only immature bushes and trees. Sadly, the modern tendency of many householders to neglect gardens, ripping them out for slate and gravel or block-paving makes the runoff issue worse.

Burleyfields lane – hedges ripped out

Habitats lost

Hedgerows gone

Since this picture was taken a few weeks ago all the hedgerow and trees here have gone.

Just beyond the horizon lies the M6 and one of the busiest stretches of motorway (Birmingham-Manchester) in Europe. But you wouldn’t know it. This is a lovely spot for walkers. The path below linked Doxey church and the former Stafford-Wellington railway line. Sadly, willow trees have been ripped out which will not help a dip where rainwater has always pooled. Many houses will soon follow.

Below is the last of the trees that once surrounded Burleyfields Farm. They’re not protected but they were a habitat and broke up what is now a flat and featureless landscape. I’m always suspicious when a few trees are cleared, then a few more, and finally and suddenly all are gone. It would’ve been possible to save some but that would affect profits for landowners and builders.

Around 2,200 houses are being built on green belt here. We’ve also had a new road, billed as a ‘traffic-busting bypass’ by Conservative councillors. It is, of course, already full of crawling traffic and was only built (at taxpayers’ expense) to connect to the new houses and spare housebuilders paying for it. As if that wasn’t enough, the local authority now wants to build hundreds more flats and houses between this area and the town. This land is also liable to flooding.

Access to this huge estate is all via one road. There is no public transport provision yet and most houses have 2 to 3 cars minimum. Sadly, there seems little or no sense to it. All of the building in Stafford is concentrated in the west of the town and the north (near junction 14, M6). Nothing is being built in the more affluent areas of town despite their abundance of land and good transport connections. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about that.

The foundations of a road now cross this lane above and the fields will soon be covered by houses.

Reflecting

Thank you to everyone who responded to my last post about what I should do next. I’m grateful for your comments and support. Writing creatively and trying to find an audience, let alone financial reward, can be tough.

There’s a lot of doubt and rejection along the way.

So, after reading the comments and reflecting I’ve decided to take a short summer break from writing. I need to recharge my batteries and it’s giving me more time to read, which is of course essential for a writer (but time-consuming if you need to hit a word count).

Reading is like adding compost, nurturing. If you don’t read you can’t really be serious about writing, Stephen King says – and he seems to have done OK.

So, I’m reading a wide variety of fiction and journalism. The last few….

The Duke – Life and Lies of Tommy Morrison by Carlos Acevedo

The World of Christopher Marlowe by David Riggs

Rebuilding Coventry by Sue Townsend

The Sound of Trumpets by John Mortimer

Unlawful Killings by Wendy Joseph KC

And, next in line are…

Pig Iron by Ben Myers

Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son by Gordon Burn

With the pressure off a little I’m enjoying reading more and, hopefully with time, I’ll be off and running again with a fresh idea and desire. I have several stories under consideration and a piece about Birmingham about to be published in a book, so it’s a good time to regroup.

I’m sure I’ll always write short stories but won’t commit to any longer term projects until I’m ready. I spend most of my working day writing so perhaps I’m just a little jaded. In time, when I’m ready, I’ll go again.

The key thing is getting the love of it back.

Whatever you’re reading or writing I hope you’re enjoying it.