Councillors back opposition to 150 Muxton homes

The plans, which would see 150 houses built at land near Wellington Lane in Muxton, had attracted opposition from scores of local residents as well as Telford & Wrekin Council's planning officials.

Speaking at a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday evening planning officer Kate Stephens said: "Officers at this moment in time, we recommend refusal and would ask for members' endorsement to proceed on that basis."

At the opening of the item members of the audience had unfurled a giant banner bearing the words "Protect Muxton".

A number of members of the public spoke at the meeting with one describing the plans as "abhorrent", and questioning the safety of creating an access onto Wellington Road.

Councillor Adrian Lawrence, who represents Muxton, said: "There is a huge amount of local resistance."

Councillor Lawrence said people were concerned that the proposal is focussed on countryside and at the potential burden the development would have on local facilities.

Planning committee member Councillor Peter Scott said that councillors should back officers and residents in their opposition.

He said: "This is in the wrong place in Muxton. I think what we have here are good reasons to refuse it and I think we can go to an appeal and be quite confident. It is the wrong application in the wrong part of Muxton."

Councillor Charles Smith, also a member of the committee pulled no punches in his opinion.

He said: "I think we should support the officers' recommendation and turn this down flat."

He added: "We have given assurances we are going to have a buffer zone between Muxton and Lilleshall and we cannot start eating into that."

The application was initially submitted on June 23 last year. The council had requested an extension of time to determine whether to approve the plans but the applicant had refused and instead submitted an appeal on the grounds of non-determination.

The proposal will be considered and determined by the Planning Inspectorate at a public inquiry which is due to take place on June 6, 2017.

The council's report into the application cites a number of reasons for objection, including the loss of green space, highways issues with the access, and the lack of nearby facilities to make the development sustainable.

The recommendation in the report from Mrs Stephens states: "The site lies in countryside outside the built up area of Telford, where new development is to be controlled, and outside the settlements of High Ercall, Tibberton and Waters Upton where new development within the rural area is expected to be focussed."

Committee members unanimously backed the officers' recommendation.