Plans for more than 200 new houses on a site in the centre of Burton that has been unused for nearly 15 years could be approved - despite fears over parking and excessive noise.
The former industrial site off Hawkins Lane and Horninglow Street has been vacant since 2003. In 2011 the site was given approval to be the venue for a new large Tesco store but this plan later fell through when the supermarket pulled out after a downturn in its fortunes.
The application for the homes submitted by Alrewas firm Maplevale Developments Ltd was registered with the council in February and is for 203 houses, of which 87 will be affordable, making up almost 43 per cent of the mix.
Alumasc Grundy Ltd, the beer barrel making and repair firm was the last occupant of the brownfield site in 2003, leaving the site empty when the business went under due to widespread overseas outsourcing in the industry.
To the north border of the site is the railway line, and the surrounding area is dominated by industrial units.
But 13 nearby residents have objected to the homes plans amid concerns over potential parking and excessive noise issues.
Officers say any issues can be managed and have recommended that the application is approved due to the benefits for housing, air quality and business for the area's construction companies.
The plan will now be determined at a meeting of East Staffordshire Borough Council on Tuesday, December 12, at Burton Town Hall.
In 2011, approval was granted for a large Tesco and a petrol filling station on the site, but plans only progressed as far as the construction on an entry road.
The planned houses would be a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties.
There will also be a range of apartments, bungalows and one to three-storey houses.
Almost two car parking spaces have been allocated per property, with 399 planned in total.
Maplevale Developments Ltd will also provide electric vehicle charging points, one on site and one most likely to be off-site at the nearby Trent and Dove Housing offices, across from the National Brewery Centre in the town.
The site sits just a stone's throw from Burton town centre, with the boundary just 500 metres away.
Out of the agencies, councils and bodies approached, only Burton Civic Society has objected to the plans, citing a lack of play space - something that the borough council's officers agree with.
One objecting resident commented: "Children will have to walk to school, all the major roads are dangerous with heavy vehicles, no provision has been made for safe crossing."
Residents also said they were concerned about people turning right out of the new estate into traffic, impaired visibility, loss of parking and the threat to long-term businesses.
The area's borough council representative Councillor Helen Hall, has objected to the plans, due to the already "insufficient" amount of parking for Hawkins Lane and Horninglow Street residents.
She said: "I am concerned that parking will be lost for residents in the houses on Hawkins Lane which sit either side of the site entrance.
"The current parking is insufficient to accommodate the residents, and they frequently have to park far down Hawkins Lane, thus taking some of their parking space."
Councillor Hall says that residents, councillors and the police previously showed concern about a planned footpath to the site, close to the railway, which was considered dangerous by officers - this path seems to have returned in the latest plan.
She would also like the parking scheme in Horninglow Street altered to have diagonal spaces.
In the council's Local Plan, which acts as a blueprint for development in the area, the focus is on developing Burton, a significant area of Uttoxeter and bringing more services and transport links to surrounding villages - connecting them to larger towns and employment areas.
The already partially-built access road off Hawkins Lane will be improved to cater for the increase in traffic and double-yellow lines will be painted down the road to keep the junction clear.
One of the main design features of the scheme is an acoustic barrier known as a "Soundblok" which is proposed to run around the northern perimeter of the site.
Its purpose is to act as a sound buffer between the residential development and the commercial units.
Largely made out of earth and plants, it is also an aim by developers to add some greenery to the site.
This site falls within the catchment areas of Holy Trinity Primary School and Abbot Beyne Secondary School.
Staffordshire County Council has been consulted and has confirmed 38 places would be required for primary education and 19 for secondary education as a result of the proposals.
The applicant proposes to build two new classrooms and office accommodation at Holy Trinity School, at a cost of £450,000, as part of a Section 106 agreement.
A Section 106 agreement - or S106 - is a legal deal between council planners and developers to bring in a suggested favourable idea, often an add on to the application, to make the plans more acceptable.
For instance, council staff may suggest school extensions, donating money to libraries in the area, or build extra parking spaces at a nearby train/bus station.
Through the application the governors and the head teacher have all been consulted and are in agreement with the plans.
Maplevale Developments Ltd has also said it would provide refuse storage areas for each home at a cost of £15,225 - £75 per house.
One of its directors Ian Reynolds said that the houses would "lift the area" along with encouraging the use of existing services such as buses.
He told the Burton Mail: "We have met the required standard for parking and what we are providing is affordable and low-cost housing, it really is the most important thing.
"We are also improving a nearby Victorian primary school, which because education authorities haven't got enough money, is also very important.
"We are uplifting the space available for another 60 pupils and finally giving the school some much needed office space.
"One of the most prominent points in the Government budget was on housing, and especially affordable housing, and that is 100 per cent what we are doing.
"What better thing can we do apart from just gifting houses away, these houses will lift the area completely and if people wanted to overlook a Tesco with 650 parking spaces then what better plan to have than affordable houses with lots of green and amenity space?"
Borough council officers have pledged strong support for the plans, saying they presented a "significant benefit," due to developing a vacant site, building affordable homes and improving air quality.
A report from officers to councillors said: "Whilst the scheme will undoubtedly change the character and appearance of the area, it is considered that this will be a significant benefit to a brownfield site that has been vacant for over 10 years.
"The benefits of the proposal including the provision of housing, on site affordable housing, provision of primary contributions, mitigation against the poor air quality in the area, alongside the economic benefits associated with the construction phase of the new development weigh heavily in support of the application."
