Church Farm Appeals Refusal of Expansion Plans in Anslow

Church Farm Tea Rooms and Children’s Farm in Anslow has appealed after East Staffordshire Borough Council refused plans for new animal buildings, educational facilities and 52 additional parking spaces.

THE SIGNAL BRIEF

What’s new: Church Farm Tea Rooms and Children’s Farm in Anslow has appealed East Staffordshire Borough Council’s refusal of plans to expand the attraction.

By the numbers: The proposals include an ‘American’ style barn, new stables, a pigsty, sensory barn and 52 additional parking spaces.

What’s next: The appeal will be determined by a planning inspector through written representations, with a decision expected early next year.

This article is based on reporting from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a BBC funded initiative set up to strengthen reporting on local democratic issues. The Staffordshire Signal has taken part in the scheme since September 2026, which means we're able to draw on a selection of LDRS stories alongside our own.

An East Staffordshire animal education centre has appealed a decision to refuse expansion plans. Church Farm in Anslow wanted permission to build new stables, an animal barn, pigsty and sensory barn on two grass fields.

Planning officers at East Staffordshire Borough Council refused planning permission in July this year. They said that the proposed development would be an overintensification of the site, the barn would be uncharacteristic in the area and would have an adverse impact on neighbouring properties.

The plans would have seen an ‘American’ style barn, new stables, and a farm entrance and pigsty. A further 52 parking spaces were proposed to address incidents of parking overspilling onto the highway and to manage capacity when people are arriving and leaving the site.

Church Farm Tea Rooms and Children’s Farm opened in 2018, and documents say it has gone from strength to strength. It is hoped the expansion will increase the facilities available to children.

New learning facilities such as a nature trail, mini beast homes, wildlife stacks, creepy crawly towers and hedgehog igloos were suggested. Anslow Parish Council was supportive of the plans; however, two residents objected to the principle of development and raised concerns over noise, activity and lack of privacy on the site.

Appeal documents state:

“The proposal is intended solely to secure the long-term sustainability of the business by providing an all-weather attraction, rather than intensifying its use during the busiest periods of the year.

“Importantly, the enhanced educational facilities would provide a valuable resource for the surrounding community, particularly as the area continues to experience significant residential development and an increasing number of families living locally.

“The proposal would provide opportunities for children, schools, nurseries and community groups to access a safe environment where they can learn about animals, nature, the countryside and the environment through practical, sensory and educational experiences.”

In refusing the planning application, planning officers at the council said the development would have an adverse impact on highway safety. Staffordshire County Council’s highways department raised no objections to the scheme providing a Construction Environmental Management Plan was conditioned.

Planning officers state:

“It is considered that the proposal is not acceptable as it would result in unacceptable adverse impacts to highway safety by the introduction of a new and extended use over and above the permitted current use, and therefore additional coming and goings to the site on narrow roads resulting in a conflict between highway users, visual impacts to the rural area and additional noise and disturbance to neighbouring occupiers together with the impact of the overall massing of the proposed development and impacts to trees and landscaping.”

Now the appeal is set to be determined by the planning inspector by written representations. The inspector is set to make a decision early next year.

Written by Jonathan Sutton, Local Democracy Reporter.

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