Go-ahead given to new housing deal near Oswestry
Friday 16th December 2011, 10:59AM GMT.
A developer has won permission to build 80 houses in a village near Oswestry – despite promising £200,000 less for the community and fewer affordable homes than previously agreed.
Pentons Haulage was granted outline planning permission to build the homes on its former headquarters in Ruyton-XI-Towns four years ago but says the economic climate has meant the original plans were now not viable.
The firm applied for a renewal of the permission and a specially arranged meeting of Shropshire Council’s north planning committee held in Shrewsbury yesterday heard its contribution to community projects as part of the deal would be reduced from £700,000 to about £500,000.
The number of affordable homes to be built as part of the scheme has also been reduced, in line with council policy, from 25 per cent to 13 per cent.
The cash will be spent on a new classroom for the village primary school and to provide public open space.
The meeting heard the village’s parish council had objected to the reduced funding arrangements, describing them as ‘inadequate’.
Resident Colin Case addressed the meeting at Shirehall and urged the council to defer the matter until the New Year.
He said that would allow the application to be governed by new planning regulations called the Community Infrastructure Levy which would give the community a greater say in how the contributions from the developers could be used and would also bring more money to the parish from the deal.
Councillor Arthur Walpole said he was concerned that £200,000, earmarked for secondary education, had been taken out of the deal.
Planning officers recommended approval for the scheme, saying the application did fit policy.
After a vote, outline approval was granted.
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