Plans for 150 new homes in Oswestry could go ahead without new spine road
Plans for 150 homes in Oswestry could go ahead even if a new road connecting them to a main route in and out of town is not built for many years.
There are two sites in Eastern Oswestry zoned for housing - land for 150 dwellings and an adjoining larger site with the potential for 600 homes.
Developers have been told that to accommodate the traffic generated from the houses there will have to be a spine road connecting Middleton Road and Shrewsbury road, as well as major improvements to the Mile End Roundabout, the latter funded by a multi-million pound Government grant.
But a report from Shropshire Council highways officers says the smaller estate could go ahead before the new road is constructed.
An application for the development, south of Middleton Road, has been lodged by Jennings Homes.
Mark Wootton, highways area manager for Shropshire Council, said the highway authority would not object to the application, providing that there were conditions and a Section 106 financial contribution was made towards the building of the spine road.
He said the land for the spine road was part of the larger site, part of the JRoss development land.
Balance
"It is recognised at the outset that the delivery of the JRoss land may take a significant period to build out, with a trigger point to construct the full extent of the spine road link when 325 dwellings are occupied," Mr Wootton said.
"It is on this basis that the current application seeks to form a separate vehicle access onto Middleton road, but with the ability to connect to the adjacent site at a date to be determined.
"Otherwise this site would in effect be landlocked and impact on the council's housing delivery in Oswestry until the link road is complete."
He said while the development would impact on the local highway network before the link road was built, there was a balance to be struck.
Building the 150 homes would allow Community Infrastructure Levy monies that could be directed towards highway works.
"I am aware of the pressure on CIL funding towards other areas such as school places but my understanding is that there are monies that can be directed to highways early, before competing elements such as school places kick in," he added.
"It is implicit that the link road is built as part of the whole southern urban extension site and that the various land interests fund the costs of the link road."
