Plans for 25 affordable homes in Shropshire village set to be approved

Plans for 25 new affordable homes in Minsterley are set to be given the green light.

The proposal by Bowsall Developments and the Housing Plus Group is for land north of Linden Fields, off Station Road in the northeast of the village.

Shropshire Council's southern planning committee is being asked to grant the application when it meets on Tuesday (October 27).

The affordable housing team at Shropshire Council supports the proposal for 18 three-bed and seven two-bed properties, allowing households to rent them while saving for a deposit for purchase after five years.

However the council’s green infrastructure team said that, while outstanding concerns regarding the landscape and visual assessments have been addressed, several landscape and public open space matters remain unresolved.

These mainly relate to ensuring that all public open space is genuinely accessible, that adequate maintenance access is provided for landscaped areas, and planting proposals can be effectively managed in the long term.

A total of eight public representations have been received by Shropshire Council, all of them objections.

They relate to highway safety, flooding, safety water and drainage, the foul pumping station, potential noise and odour from an adjacent poultry unit, the impact on local services, and environmental and watercourse issues.

Objections were also submitted by the Shropshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Minsterley Flood Action Group and Minsterley Parish Council.

But planning officers at Shropshire Council said the amount of affordable housing "attracts significant weight" in favour of the proposal.

The report sent to committee members said: "The development would make a meaningful contribution towards meeting local housing needs whilst supporting the vitality and sustainability of Minsterley.

"Although the proposal conflicts with the adopted settlement boundary, very limited weight is given to that conflict.

"The site's close relationship with Minsterley, the support from the affordable housing team and the substantial affordable housing benefits are material considerations which weigh strongly in favour of the development."