Hidden in the developer’s paperwork is a small but critical detail. They are submitting a “Screening Opinion” request to Lichfield Council.

What does this mean? They are essentially asking the Council for permission not to carry out a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

An EIA is the “Gold Standard” of planning scrutiny. It forces developers to thoroughly investigate and publish data on:

• 📉 Cumulative traffic impacts.
• 🦇 Detailed ecology and wildlife surveys.
• 💨 Air quality changes for existing residents.
• 🚜 Loss of agricultural soil.

Why are they doing this? If the Council agrees that an EIA isn’t needed, the developer saves time and money. More importantly, it means there will be less detailed environmental data available for us (the public) to scrutinise when we object.

Our View: For a development of 225 homes on Green Belt land, adjacent to Listed buildings and sensitive habitats, a “quick check” isn’t enough. We believe this site deserves the full scrutiny of an Environmental Impact Assessment.