Family's plan to turn disused Shropshire outbuilding into a home is set to test green belt policies

Tony Vogel has applied to Telford & Wrekin Council for permission to convert the outbuilding on land off Pave Lane in Woodcote, near Newport, which sits outside the development boundary and in the green belt.

But Telford-based planning agent Mid West Planning has set out the reasons it believes council planners should give the proposed one-bed dwelling the green light.

The flat-roofed building close to the A41 Newport bypass has been in the Vogel family since 1979 and has been used in connection with work as a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom designer and contractor.

The site also previously contained a dwelling but this was demolished at some point in the 1960s, planners have been told.

The planning agent wrote that council officers should consider it a “sustainable development” despite a limited opportunity to use public transport.

“Some reliance on the private vehicle would be inevitable; given the proximity of the site to Newport and amenities within that settlement, the car journeys would be short and not particularly unusual in this rural area,” the agent added.

The agent wrote that the site is less than one hectare in size, the plan involves the re-use of a disused building and it “represents an appropriate and policy‑compliant location".

They admitted that “substantial weight is to be given to any harm to the green belt resulting from development” but said it should be granted.

“The proposal is considered to represent sustainable development: it makes effective use of brownfield land and involves the conversion of an existing disused building, thereby reducing the need for new land take and minimising resource consumption.”

They added that the council’s draft local plan is moving towards a policy of supporting the re‑use of redundant or disused rural buildings.

“The development will improve the appearance of the land and will not give rise to any harm to the openness of the green belt, nor to the site’s ecological or biodiversity value,” the agent wrote.

“The applicant has fully addressed the feedback provided through the pre‑application process, resulting in a scheme that accords with both local and national planning policy.

“There is therefore no identifiable harm arising from the proposal.”

A public consultation on the proposal has been opened on the Telford & Wrekin Council planning portal (reference number TWC/2026/0149).