First glimpse of housing plans for former power station site

The site is set to be redeveloped as what will effectively be a new community called Benthall Grange – with around 1,000 homes eventually planned for the area.

The Taylor Wimpey proposals, which form just one phase of the development, would be called 'Tower Woods' and will include five per cent 'affordable housing'.

The power station, which provided electricity from 1969, ceased operation in November 2015.

Its four landmark cooling towers were demolished in December 2019.

A number of residents attended the meeting to get a glimpse at the proposals, and voice their thoughts about the site.

Viv Moore, from Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale Civic Society, said people were worried about the impact of the development on Ironbridge – particularly the increase in traffic generated by cars from 1,000 new homes.

She said: "Even though they say they will direct traffic out towards Buildwas it will still undoubtedly come into Ironbridge."

She added: "We just don't have the infrastructure to do it."

Mrs Moore repeated a suggestion from Ironbridge Gorge's Telford & Wrekin Councillor, Carolyn Healy, that the new development does not include the word 'Ironbridge' in any part of its name – to avoid confusion and limit the potential for traffic impact.

Councillor Healy said: "We have ensured through the planning process that the main traffic route from the site will come from the Ironbridge bypass ans Much Wenlock Road and therefore having an address that indicates it is outside Ironbridge stops traffic coming through the narrow streets of Ironbridge to get there."

A number of residents have also raised concerns over the issues of flooding – with parts of Ironbridge Gorge already suffering repeatedly with serious flooding.

Local resident Nicholas Bellizia said he was disappointed that the plans for the site had not included a large attenuation lake to limit the loss of surface drainage from the development.

He said: "I really do think we could have done a lot better for the community for Ironbridge, as we know global warming is causing a problem now, river levels are going to keep on rising, we had an opportunity there to build an attenuation lake just to temporarily store water while water levels subside or we balance them.What are we doing? We are putting a housing estate which I personally do not think is needed."

He added that the focus should be on returning some of the site back to nature, adding: "Let's sort our flooding problems out."

Horeshay resident Jan Chapman also said that a doctors surgery was essential – with Much Wenlock and Coalbrookdale already under pressure.

She said: "I am not sure of the situation with the doctors. There were people there from Much Wenlock who said their own doctors cannot cope and it is the same in Coalbrookdale.

"If there are going to be 1,000 homes on the power station site where are they going to see a doctor?"

Mrs Moore also stressed that a GP surgery was vital, adding: "It is a real worry that these houses will make it very difficult to get a doctors appointment."

Taylor Wimpey said that it is committed to listening to feedback regarding the development – and would be considering it ahead of submitting a formal planning application.

Helen Chard, Land Director for Taylor Wimpey North Midlands, said: “Listening to feedback from the local community is really important to us and we would like to thank everyone who attended our consultation event last week.

“Our team was on hand to answer questions about our current plans, which include up to 202 new homes and area of open space, and we encourage anyone with feedback on our proposals to have their say via our website at www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/new-homes/ironbridge/tower-woods

“All feedback will be considered as we finalise and submit a reserved matters planning application to Shropshire Council later this spring.”

Feedback on the proposals will be accepted until Friday, April 18.