Plans for four Telford factories approved despite transport concerns

Council planning officers recommended the approval of the Hortonwood development but admitted the cycling provision was based on the previous local plan, with only a quarter of the bike parking spaces now recommended.

The local parish council objected to three of the four units and their representative told the Telford & Wrekin planning meeting that public transport in the area was insufficient.

The four-factory plans, totalling 30,000 square metres, include 647 car parking spaces, 18 berths for motorcycles, 17 for HGVs and 96 for bicycles.

Jon Brumwell, the clerk of Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council, told the meeting: “Because the applicant is Telford and Wrekin Council itself, it would be reasonable, I would think, that it would support the aims and criteria of the local plan, the key goal of which is sustainability, including sustainable transport.”

However, he quoted the officers’ own report which stated “walking to and from work at the site is unlikely to be attractive as a mode of transport for the purposes of commuting”.

He added that the nearest bus stop is a mile away and the nearest railway station, Oakengates, is four kilometres (2.5m) away.

While the four proposed units have a total of 96 bike parking spaces, according to the local plan which came into force last January, buildings of the size proposed should have 90 spaces each.

Highways officer Keith Harris said: “I’m not even sure Holland would provide that amount!

“We’re mirroring the previous local plan in terms of its provision, and it’s a provision which I don’t think is unreasonable.

“I don’t think providing 90 on each site would straight away increase the level of cycling.”

Committee member Councillor Nicola Lowery said: “We are not with the previous local plan; we are with the current local plan.

“Yes, it might be perceived by some that this is over-zealous, but it is there in our local plan. It’s there in black and white.”

She added that, given that public transport was far away and walking was unlikely to be widely chosen, she was in favour of “overprovision” in this other area.

Councillor Nigel Dugmore agreed it was “incredible” that an industrial estate of that size had no bus service, and added that the traffic situation had got worse, especially since the A442 had changed from being dual to single-carriageway in that area.

He said: “People will actually use their bikes, because it will get them home much quicker!”

Councillor Leon Murray suggested the companies who move onto the sites could provide their own private employee buses.

“This is one of the things we need to encourage the bigger employers to do,” he said.

The Telford and Wrekin planning committee voted six to one to approve all four applications.

In each case, Councillor Lowery was the only member to vote against.

By Alex Moore, local democracy reporter