Plans for homes on abandoned land next to Oswestry pub thrown out by planning inspector
The fourth attempt to build homes on a plot of land dubbed "a blight" on Oswestry has failed after a government planning inspector dismissed an appeal.
The plot of land that once housed Monumental Masons stone merchants on Salop Road in Oswestry has remained vacant since the business relocated in 2010.
Four attempts have now been made to build houses on the abandoned and overgrown site, which council planning officers have dubbed "a blight on the conservation area".
The original plan, to build two semi-detached and one flat on the site, was halted after the next-door pub launched a successful legal challenge over a right-to-light issue.
Several years later, plans to build three terrace homes on the site - set further back from the pub - were submitted and eventually approved in 2020.
In 2022, before work began on the three homes, another planning application was lodged to increase the number of homes to four.
That plan was later rejected for being an "overdevelopment" of the site, and the previous plans expired.
The latest application for a terrace of three two-bedroom homes, submitted by a Mr C Payne, claimed the new proposal was "almost identical" to the 2020 scheme.
But Shropshire Council planning officers rejected the proposals, arguing that the plans would constitute overdevelopment of the site.
Unhappy with the decision, the applicant took the decision to the Government Planning Inspectorate, which has now sided with the council.
Dismissing the appeal, inspector A. O'Neill determined the design of the homes would be out of character with other homes in the area - citing a lack of chimneys, limited outdoor garden space, and homes directly adjacent to the footpath.
The inspector also raised concerns over the impact of noise from the next-door pub and busy Salop Road on future residents.
While the inspector said the proposal would re-use previously developed land and contribute to the housing supply, they ultimately determined those factors did not outweigh the potential harm caused by the development.
The full application, and inspector's decision, can be viewed online using Shropshire Council's planning portal and reference number 24/04670/FUL.
