Plea to use derelict sites for homes before green fields in Newport

Members of Newport and District Civic Society say they are becoming increasingly annoyed over planning bids.

They say that planning applications continue to be put forward for undeveloped green fields in the area when there are brownfield sites which have been derelict for years.

More than 700 new properties have already been given the go-ahead in and around the town, the vast majority on green land, and there are about 400 more houses known to be in the pipeline.

The civic society says that those figures far exceed the 600 new homes set out for Newport between 2006 and 2016 in Telford & Wrekin Council's Core Strategy.

And now the group has said it will object to any further developments in Newport which are not on brownfield sites.

The group has also called on the council to bring forward a new local plan for the area with new targets for development of the town beyond 2016.

Peter Chadwick, civic society spokesman, said: "As many of the approved applications are for greenfield sites, no further applications relating to greenfield development should be put before the council plans board until substantial progress has made in building homes on the sites which have an extant approval.

"Until such time as Telford & Wrekin bring forward a local plan for public consultation and the local plan has been examined by a planning inspector, Newport and District Civic Society will only support applications for houses to be built on the brownfield sites in Newport."

The civic society is particularly keen to see development on run-down land at Water Lane.

The land was earmarked for a mixed development of houses and shops some 10 years ago.

Mr Chadwick added: "The land still remains undeveloped and in a deplorable state."

The civic society challenged Telford & Wrekin Council to produce a draft local plan for public consultation.

The council has started initial consultation under its Shaping Places initiative.