Telford business development gets go-ahead despite listed building concerns

Councillors voted to allow Monte Blackburn Ltd to build the facilities on a four-acre site west of the Hadley Park A442 roundabout.

Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council clerk Jonathan Brumwell said the petrol station would “completely obscure” views of Hadley Castle – a 150-year-old former windmill, adapted into a turret shape.

But Telford and Wrekin Council principal planning officer Steven Drury said a “balancing exercise” had determined the scheme’s benefits outweighed the harm.

A report before the planning committee said the six buildings will be either B1 business use or B8 storage and distribution.

A similar proposal, but with only B1 buildings, was given the green light on the same site in 2017.

Mr Brumwell said both applications were “flawed”, as they failed to take into account the impact on Hadley Castle, which would be completely obscured by the drive-through cafe.

Analysis

Mr Drury said other development in the area around the former windmill meant its setting was “no longer a major contributor to its significance”.

He said: “A balancing exercise has been carried out where it has been concluded that, in this instance, the benefits do outweigh the harm.”

Turning to the effect on the area’s roads, Mr Brumwell said the applicant’s transport analysis only considered this application in isolation and didn’t include the cumulative effect of development nearby.

Principal engineer Mark Rowley said the highways department had taken a “cumulative approach”, and that B8 storage and distribution centres generate less traffic during rush hours than B1 business premises, so adding these former to the plans had lessened its traffic impact.

The Telford and Wrekin Planning Committee voted 8-0 to follow the officers’ recommendation and approve the application.

By Alex Moore, local democracy reporter