Controversial housing scheme off 'danger' Telford road is deferred
Developers will be invited to think again over plans for 40 ‘affordable’ homes in Wellington after councillors raised concerns about the scheme.
Concern that residents of planned homes off North Road would be able to look into the site of Wrekin View Primary and Nursery School was one of the issues raised at a meeting.
People in the public gallery of a planning committee meeting reacted with disbelief when officials claimed that 48 parking spaces would be enough for residents and visitors. They fear more overspill parking causing additional hazards on nearby roads.
Residents gave planners examples of parking issues at school times but officials recommended approval, with conditions attached.
Councillor Paul Davis, representing residents, said: “Children would be overlooked at close range.
“I have privacy and safeguarding concerns.”
Councillor Davis said there is support for affordable housing but this scheme would be “over-development”.
Tom Wragg, for applicant GreenSquareAccord (GSA), said: “The plan is to build 40 new homes for people in need. We would be housing local Telford people in social rented homes.”
He said that every year there is a need for 696 affordable homes in the borough.
He claimed there were “no concerns about collisions” on North Road, and he added that traffic issues did not provide grounds for refusal.
Council officers told the meeting that it was acceptable for 48 parking spaces to be provided for residents and visitors at the site of the former Wrekin Endeavour Centre.
The same applicant already has planning permission for a care home but it has reconsidered because of local housing needs.
The meeting was told that data shows fewer people in affordable homes have cars.
“There will be no unacceptable impact on highway safety,” an official told the meeting.
But councillors had their doubts.
Councillor Nigel Dugmore (Conservative, Muxton) said there should be 55 spaces to meet parking standards.
He added: “I have quite serious concerns about overlooking a school site.”
Councillor Giles Luter (Labour, Ercall) said: “I don’t see how the lack of parking is acceptable.”
He added that having lived in Wellington for 41 years and regularly used North Road, he had seen the lack of parking in the area.
Councillor Luter, who is also a town councillor, said the parking criteria is “deemed acceptable” but the “lived experience” of residents showed that it was “simply not true”.
A highways officer told the meeting that the advice is “based on evidence” and if the scheme was rejected a planning inspector “almost certainly won’t be supportive”.
But committee members were not happy to support it.
Councillor Arnold England (Labour, Brookside) said the scheme needs to be “redesigned so they do not have overlooking” of the school. He is also concerned about “inadequate parking”.
Councillor Thomas Janke (Liberal Democrat, Newport South) seconded Councillor Dugmore’s proposal to defer the decision. He said that would give the applicants a “chance to reconsider”.
Councillors voted unanimously to defer their decision.
A planning officer then confirmed they would go back to the applicant to discuss the number of properties on the site, the overlooking issue and parking.
After the meeting Vineyard Road resident Simon Phillips said: “There is a huge complacency here about the traffic in North Road, they do not seem to have a clue.
“They said there had been no collisions but there was a major accident last year. It is pot luck when you’re turning right and that whole road is quite dangerous.”
