Housing scheme for small north Shropshire village gets 'permission in principle'
A housing development could be coming to a a small Shropshire village.
The trustees of the Cloverley Estate have been granted permission in principle (PIP) for between eight and nine homes to be built off Calverhall Road in Ightfield, near Whitchurch.
In a supporting statement submitted on behalf of the applicants, Jack Bridgett of Peter Richards & Co said there had been positive pre-application engagement with Shropshire Council.
He added that an adjacent agricultural holding has planning consent for nine dwellings, which the PIP is intended to complement.
“The proposed development represents an efficient and sustainable use of land, delivering a well‑designed scheme of appropriate scale that integrates positively with the existing built environment,” said Mr Bridgett.
“It will contribute to the vitality of the settlement and support the delivery of much‑needed housing in Shropshire.
“The level of development proposed would contribute to the council’s shortfall in housing land supply whilst remaining within the built form of an existing settlement and would look to benefit the rural housing provision should it be permitted.”
The highways department at Shropshire Council objected to the proposal, saying that there was a lack of connecting infrastructure, with an “absolute reliance” on a car for almost all trips.
“Traffic flows in the area are likely to be low, but the quality of the environment to engage walking or cycling for any key trip purpose is likely to be nil,” read the highways report.
“Local facilities such as the church are within walking distance but other shared local facilities sit in adjacent villages.”
The ecology team also said that additional information was required in relation to biodiversity net gain, bats and great crested newts.
However, principal planning officer Mark Perry said that no areas of harm which would significantly and demonstrably outweight the proposal’s benefits have been identified. Therefore, the scheme aligns with the objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework to boost housing supply and support sustainable rural communities.
He therefore supported the proposal in principle, subject to the satisfactory resolution of detailed mattters at the next stage.
