Shropshire Star

Tree holds key to new housing for Oswestry

A lime tree could hold the key to taking forward plans for 150 new homes in Oswestry.

Published
Shirehall

A planning application to build the houses off Middleton Road in the east of the town was submitted by Jennings Estates Ltd in December 2017.

National funding for trunk road roundabout improvements helped pave the way for the development.

But now a tree preservation order has been served for a large tree on the site that is growing in a hedge, set to be removed to make way for road improvements within the development.

The order has been made for a temporary six months.

A specialist forestry and arboriculture report on behalf of the developers says that the tree was omitted from an early report completed in support of an application to develop the site to the east of the tree.

Removing it would help safety, the report says.

"The development proposals require removal of the tree in order to widen the highway at the point where it meets the tree and to improve visibility along this section of Middleton Road.

"The loss of this tree can be offset by replacement planting on the development site. The appended plan indicates that there is enough open space for additional trees."

Shropshire Council is expected to determine the planning application later this year.