Developer now wants to build homes instead of approved plant nursery for people with learning disabilities

Learning disability charity Homes Farm Trust (HFT) are carrying out the development with Lioncourt Homes as their chosen developer.

Final plans were confirmed in 2022 for the site to have 68 open market dwellings, nine supported living dwellings and three registered social care bungalows and a new plant nursery and café.

HFT had proposed for a plant nursery and café to be provided within the south-east corner of the site.

“At the time, it was envisaged that this would enable the development to provide a diversity of uses and deliver retail employment opportunities to the charity’s customers only, it was not intended to be used as a public facility for the wider public,” said the applicant in their design statement.

Lioncourt Homes are now progressing with building the first stage of the development and along the HFT want to change their proposals.

However, the housing developer now wants to remove the plant nursery and cafe to make way for five more homes. HFT states that one of those homes will be ‘gifted’ back to the charity for a supported living dwelling.

HFT states that since planning consent was granted they have explored the operating and funding model for the potential plant nursery and café.

They state that the facility would have ‘restricted the opportunities for residents’ due to its intended use being for residents and users of HFT only.

The charity added that they have since moved to develop all daytime activities within the wider community, and the on-site facility no longer ‘satisfies their strategy’.

“In addition to this shift change to the charity’s strategy, funding of the facility was also questionable and to safeguard future funds for the charity, this facility is no longer required,” added the application.

HFT added that there would be opportunities for residents to assist in gardening schemes throughout the wider site.

The proposed homes would be accessed from Beech Road along the southern boundary. Lioncourt are proposing to build two two-bedroom homes and three three-bedroom properties.

The homes are proposed to be two-storey and a mixture of semi-detached properties and a detached house.

“Whilst it is unfortunate that the plant nursery and café is no longer considered to be required for the charity, the gain of one further specialist unit for HFT will assist in meeting a specialist housing need which is difficult to resource,” the application concluded.

“In addition, the facility was never intended to be open to the general public, and this will not have an impact upon the wider community.

“The site remains accessible to a number of services and facilities, and it is still considered a sustainable location for residential development, regardless of whether the plant nursery and café is provided.”

Plans can be viewed on the Telford & Wrekin Council’s planning portal on their website, application number TWC/2024/0249. Any comments need to be made during the consultation phase which ends on April 25.