Flood fears lead to new look for Shrewsbury housing scheme
Amended plans to build almost 300 homes on the outskirts of Shrewsbury have resulted in the Environment Agency dropping its objection to the scheme.
Taylor Wimpey has made a number of amendments to its plans to build 292 homes in Sutton Grange, off Oteley Road.
The changes have resulted in the Environment Agency removing their objection to the scheme, but the organisation still wants a number of conditions placed on the house-building project to reduce flood risks and protect the local habitat.
It comes after the original plans for the scheme were criticised by a number of groups, including English Heritage, the Shrewsbury branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth.
Taylor Wimpey has now filed a new series of documents containing amended plans.
The changes include amended site layout plans, additions of chimneys to a number of the proposed properties and further information on the design of estate roads and drainage systems.
A letter on behalf of the developers was also sent to Shropshire Council to address concerns raised by the Environment Agency.
Tim Dawe, principal engineer for JMP Consultants, said compensatory excavation work in open spaces on the development site would help protect a set of houses sited close to a flood zone area.
He added this part of the development would not be part of the first phase of building work, with detailed design work on how the road to the houses would be protected yet to be completed.
Mr Dawe's letter suggested a planning condition should be included in relation to the affected properties that would have to be given Environment Agency approval, instead of the organisation's concerns about the issue affecting its views on whether the entire scheme should get the go-ahead.
A response from Tessa Foxall, senior planning advisor for the Environment Agency, said that the organisation was now "in a position to remove our standing objection".
But the Environment Agency wants a number of conditions including any potential planning permission for the scheme, including the creation of a compensatory flood storage works scheme and a habitat management plan relating to the Rea Brook watercourse.
By Chris Burn
