The Planning Committee of Staffordshire County Council met on Thursday 6 August 2026 to discuss changes to national planning delegation regulations and to approve a significant infrastructure project. The committee approved plans for a new bypass bridge and the conversion of the historic Chetwynd Bridge into a pedestrian and cycle route.

Planning Committees and the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions

The committee was informed about the upcoming Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which will come into effect on 31 October 2026. These regulations aim to provide greater clarity and consistency in planning decision-making by delegating more minor and technical decisions to Planning Officers. A key change will be the reduction of the Planning Committee's size from 15 to a maximum of 13 members. Current practices, such as the power for local members to call in cases or trigger points for referral based on objections, will no longer be possible under the new national scheme. Amendments to the council's constitution and delegations will be made and will be presented to the Audit and Standards Committee and then to the Full Council. The committee noted this report.

Appointment of members to the Countryside and Rights of Way Panel

Following a change in political proportionality, revised appointments to committees were agreed by group leaders. This resulted in changes to the membership of the Planning Committee and, consequently, the Countryside and Rights of Way panel. The committee appointed Councillors Mike Broom, Bob Eginton, Neil Parton, Nicholas Thompson, Val Chapman, Sue Beardmore, and Jeremy Peart to sit on the Countryside and Rights of Way panel.

Application by The Cabinet, Staffordshire County Council at Chetwynd Bridge, Alrewas

The committee considered an application for a substantial new infrastructure project involving the construction of a new bypass bridge and the conversion of the existing Chetwynd Bridge into a pedestrian and cycle bridge. The existing Grade II* listed Chetwynd Bridge, built in 1824, is a significant heritage asset but is in a deteriorating condition, leading to traffic restrictions, including a 7.5-tonne weight limit and single-lane traffic control. This has caused considerable disruption and inconvenience to the local community.

The proposed development includes a new two-span composite steel beam and concrete deck bridge designed to modern standards, which will accommodate normal highway loading and abnormal loads of up to 100 tonnes. This new bridge will remove the current traffic restrictions and improve access to local amenities and the A38 trunk road. The existing Chetwynd Bridge will be sensitively converted into a safe pedestrian and cycle-only bridge, forming a key link between local attractions such as the National Memorial Arboretum and the Croxall Wildlife Reserve.

The application site is located in Flood Zone 3, a high-risk area for flooding. The Environment Agency, after initial concerns and a request for additional information, removed their objection subject to conditions. The Environment Agency noted that the proposed development demonstrates wider sustainability benefits to the community, including improved journey reliability, safer infrastructure, biodiversity net gain, and the preservation of a heritage asset, which outweigh the flood risk. Conditions have been recommended to address flood risk, including a property mitigation scheme and adherence to the approved drainage strategy.

The design of the new bridge is intended to be sympathetic to the historic Chetwynd Bridge, being visually recessive and not competing with the existing structure. The proposal includes significant landscaping and a biodiversity net gain of over 70%, which will be secured via a legal agreement. The development also falls within a Mineral Safeguarding Area for sand and gravel, but it was deemed impractical to extract minerals in this location due to its proximity to the River Tame and its floodplain.

Mr. Chris Plant, Structures Manager for Staffordshire County Council, spoke in support of the application, highlighting the critical condition of the existing bridge and the necessity of the new bypass. He noted that if funding is not secured, the bridge could be closed to all traffic within 12 months.

The committee voted to approve the recommendations for the application. The decision was made subject to planning conditions, including requirements for the approval of final bridge finishes, a detailed Construction Environmental Management Plan, a Construction Traffic Management Plan, and measures for surface water drainage, flood risk mitigation, biodiversity net gain, landscape and tree protection, ecology, archaeology, and lighting. Informatives were also provided regarding various aspects of the development, including environmental permitting, utility provider requirements, and advice from Active Travel England.