Site of former Telford pub demolished after fire set to be used as children’s home

A planning application has been lodged with Telford & Wrekin Council that could see the former site of the Bell Inn, at The Fields, used to house three children.

Applicant Ashlee Homes Supported Living won planning permission for nine supported living apartments in 2022 but that was not implemented and has since expired.

Planning agent Gareth Jones, of ET Planning, has told the council that it is important to create homes for children who would otherwise have to be sent out of the borough to be cared for.

“Out-of-borough placements are sometimes required for specialist needs, particularly for children with complex needs,” the agent wrote.

“The proposed development would help reduce reliance on these placements, keeping children closer to their families and communities.”

Each apartment would accommodate one child in care aged between five-18, care would be provided on a 1-1 basis 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Quoting a Care Quality Commission report from 2024, the agent wrote that “data shows that only 50 people had been moved back into Telford and Wrekin from out-of-borough placements in the last three years.”

The agent writes that the children who will live at the property “may have gone through significant difficulties in their lives and for reasons outside of their control are unable to live with their parents through no fault of their own.

“The applicant wants to ensure that the development reflects a place that they are proud to call home.”

The site is on 0.1 hectares of vacant land, in a predominantly residential area, and close to Donnington Wood Bowling Club and Outdoor Gym.

The agent writes notes that the current proposal is somewhat smaller than the previous permission and “no concerns were raised in relation to the earlier permission” and this one should be considered acceptable.

Neighbours had however objected to the scale of previous plans saying that the “proposed development will have a serious detrimental impact on our standard of living and privacy/light to our property.“

The agent concludes that “the properties would operate akin to a typical family dwelling house and so the impact on neighbours is unlikely to be harmful compared to that of a typical family dwelling.”

A period of public consultation has opened on the proposal which can be viewed on the Telford & Wrekin Council planning website with the reference TWC/2025/0595

The website link is https://secure.telford.gov.uk/planning/pa-applicationsummary.aspx?Applicationnumber=TWC/2025/0595