Plans to build 35 homes on the site of a former rubber factory in Shropshire have been approved.

The application for the former site at Phoenix Rubber Ltd, in Pipe Gate, near Woore, got the go-ahead at a meeting of Shropshire Council’s north planning committee in Wem yesterday.

The scheme won approval despite concerns over a lack of affordable housing and that the design wouldn’t fit in with the rest of the village.

The Taylor Wimpey application was recommended for approval by planning officers and it includes 26 four-bedroom, four five-bedroom, three three-bedroom and two two-bedroom houses.

Members of Woore Parish Council supported the scheme despite initially objecting to it because of fears the site would become over-developed, concerns of traffic on the A51 and the lack of affordable housing.

Meanwhile, a planning application for 30 homes and industrial units, including 10 affordable homes, has been resubmitted for a coal and timber yard and railways sidings in Bucknell, near Craven Arms, in south Shropshire.

Network Rail has objected to the plans, saying they are a public safety risk.

The rail operator said the level crossing on the nearby the Heart of Wales railway line would need upgrading if the plans were to go ahead.

In a statement, Network Rail said: “We have safety concerns that the proposal would lead to an increase in the usage of this crossing which is already a particularly sensitive feature of the railway.

The Bucknell automatic open crossing locally monitored has experienced high levels of misuse over the past three years, with a number of near-misses caused by motorists ignoring the red lights, the development would bring about an increase in usage of the crossing, in turn, causing an increase in risk to public safety.”

Network Rail has said it would probably withdraw an objection if the developers funded an upgrade to the crossing.

The original plans were turned down in January this year.

Now a new plan has been submitted and is recommended for approval, subject to conditions, by the south planning committee which will meet next Tuesday.