Confusion over number of houses planned for village near Shrewsbury

There is confusion over how many houses are being planned in a village near Shrewsbury.

GH Davies Holdings has submitted an outline planning application for a residential development on a 1.4 hectare parcel of land south of Jarvis Drive in Bayston Hill.

A design and access statement submitted in January by Berrys said that the scheme would consist of 28 dwellings, with 20 per cent being affordable.

Public open space would also be provided on site, adds the document, with biodiversity net gain enhancements being located in those areas.

Pending the adoption of Jarvis Drive being resolved, Berrys say that it is proposed that the developer will seek to offer the new estate road for adoption.

Earlier this month, further documents were submitted, including active travel and transport assessments.

However, while the former confirms that the proposals seek outline permission for up to 28 dwellings, the transport assessment says it will be 39.

"Access visibility and vehicle swept paths have been assessed for the existing site access, and the proposed internal access routes," said a spokesperson for Berrys.

"The assessments demonstrate that the existing site access and proposed road layout conform to modern visibility and geometrical standards and are suitable to support the proposed residential development.

"Despite the rural village location, there are frequent bus services available within close proximity to the site, which provide convenient, more sustainable travel options covering the neighbouring towns and settlements and wider region.

"The proposed development is forecast to generate in the region of 43 combined arrivals and departures in the network peak hours, with a total of 117 arrivals and departures per day.

"Given the availability of various access routes to and from the A5, it is considered that the proposed development can be accommodated without detriment to the operational capacity and safety of the local highway network."

Councillor Terri Trickett, who represents Bayston Hill on Shropshire Council, said there needs to be clarification over how many houses are planned.

"This is not satisfactory," she said.

"It may simply be an error, but an error concerning the number of dwellings being assessed in a technical document is material and needs to be corrected and explained."

Councillor Trickett added that she doesn't believe the applicant has demonstrated that the site can be regarded as sustainably located, or that there is a realistic, safe and accessible alternative to private car use.

"The Transport Statement states that its purpose is to demonstrate that the development will provide safe and sustainable access for future residents without adversely affecting highway safety or creating wider traffic issues," said Councillor Trickett.

"In my view, the evidence submitted does not demonstrate this."

So far, more than 100 objections have been lodged via Shropshire Council's planning portal (reference 26/00321/OUT) with none in support.

The consultation period is due to expire on Tuesday (September 1).