Applicant George Kelson submitted plans to build a three-bedroom property on land behind The Bridge pub, close to Newport town centre.

The applicant, who owns the undeveloped land, wanted to build the property because of a ‘need to house his family locally’.

Plans were originally submitted for a house with a detached triple garage, which were refused by the council in 2020 and by a planning inspector later that year.

A second application was submitted last year, which included an agreement to restrict the occupation to the applicant and his family. The house would be secured in ‘perpetuity’ to the affordable housing market.

“The proposed dwelling has been modified from that previously sought and designed to reflect the local small-scale housing and harmonize with the adjacent Conservation area,” said the applicant in their design and access statement.

Access to the house was planned to be from an existing private track which serves houses positioned along the main road.

The planned house would have been positioned behind the existing properties alongside the Bridge pub which front onto the main road.

The proposed development was on ‘mostly open undeveloped land covered by soft landscaping.’

“The dwelling will be grouped with and relate closely to the existing frontage development and the several individual detached properties at the rear,” the applicant added.

“This aspect of the proposal ensures that the dwelling will physically and visually form part of the existing built development thus diminishing any adverse landscape impact.

“The proposal will meet the personal family need of the applicant. The house design and site layout relate closely to and dovetail into the existing built development fabric adjacent.

“To this extent the proposal safeguards and protects the amenity and value of the conservation area The proposal is a sustainable development and is supported by development plan policy.

“No adverse impacts are identified or other material considerations which indicate that the development should not be approved.”

Newport Town Council made comments about the application but did not lodge a formal objection. The town council said it had ‘concerns’ about access, the site being next to a scheduled ancient monument (canal bridge) and a ‘number of significant listed buildings’ (on Bridge Terrace).

Telford & Wrekin Council refused the plans, stating that building behind the existing row of houses would be an ‘unacceptable form of back land development’.

It added that the development would be ‘highly visible’ from Bridge Terrace and would cause ‘significant harm’ to views to and from the site.

The council added that insufficient drainage information had been supplied for the site which it said is in a flood zone.

Visibility from the private access track was also raised as a concern by the council, which said insufficient information had been submitted about how sufficient visibility would be achieved.