Environmental assessment not required for 350-home Oswestry scheme
Shropshire Council has deemed that a proposal to build 350 homes in Oswestry is unlikely to significantly impact the environment.
An application was lodged last month for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion for a residential development for up to 350 homes on land south of Mount Road, on the outskirts of the town.
No details were provided about the scheme, including the types of properties that would be available or the precise layout.
It is not known who is behind the proposal, but the application was submitted by Lane Town Planning, a Manchester-based town planning consultant that says it is “focused on delivering quality and commercial planning advice and services”.
The firm says that the homes would be built on an area of undeveloped agricultural land totalling 36.9 hectares.
Within the development site is a 17th-century garden/hunting lodge of a Grade II-listed building called The Hayes.
However, Alison Lloyd, senior planning officer at Shropshire Council, has deemed that an EIA is not required.
“Having considered the location, characteristics of the development and the potential impacts, it is concluded that the proposed development would not be complex or have significant effects on the environment,” she said.
“The site is greenfield in nature, with the proposed development providing a residential-led development, which would reflect the existing built-up area to the east. The proposed use would be of a similar nature and character to that surrounding the site.
“The site is not formally designated, and it is considered that any environmental effects can be fully evaluated as part of the application process.”
Ms Lloyd added that the effects of the development can be adequately considered within the context of a planning application, without the need for a full EIA to be submitted.
