Developers plan 150 more houses for Shrewsbury

It emerged today that building firms have appealed against Shropshire Council's decision to refuse three applications for more than 150 homes.

And another plan already approved for 39 homes in the village of Cross Houses is now expected to be expanded by another 35. All four applications are expected to attract opposition.

Shropshire Council's planning officers last year turned down plans for 125 homes east of Nobold Lane, off Longden Road, as well as 12 in Bomere Heath.

A further 20 homes planned off Plealey Lane were rejected earlier this year by central planning committee members.

However, all three applications are now facing appeal after developers disagreed with decisions made by Shropshire Council.

The plans for grazing land off Nobold Lane came under fire from councillors and residents before being refused by officers, who said it would be an "inappropriate intrusion into open countryside".

Shrewsbury Town Council, Great Hanwood Parish Council and the Campaign to Protect Rural England all raised concerns, but applicants Morris Homes Midlands Limited has appealed and the plans will now go to a government planning inspectorate who will make the final decision.

Meanwhile, applicants for 20 homes off Plealey Lane have launched an appeal after central planning committee members turned down the plans in February, despite officers recommending them for approval.

The site had been scaled down from an initial scheme of 50 homes, which had then been reduced to 35 homes – plans also refused by the council.

But applicants Mr and Mrs D Jones now have put appeals in for both the applications and say there are no technical planning objections to the latest scheme that can't be dealt with using conditions.

A separate application for 12 homes north of Preston Gubbals Road, in Bomere Heath, was turned down by the council's officers last year.

That scheme will now also be decided by a government inspector.

Developer Clive Benfield has already won outline permission for 39 homes at Holcroft Way, Cross Houses.

Now plans have been submitted to Shropshire Council for phase two of the scheme which would see an additional 35 homes, which would have access via an enlarged roundabout off Holcroft Way.

Concerns have been raised about the impact of construction traffic and residents are also worried about the enlargement of a mini-roundabout.

In a report to Shropshire Council's central planning committee, case officer Jane Redmond said: "The roundabout is required to make the development acceptable and is directly related to and fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development proposed."