Plans for 120 houses near bypass in Telford withdrawn after more than 100 objections

The proposals included creating a signalled junction on the A5 to access the site and a reduction in the speed limit from 60 to 40 miles per hour.

“A similar proposal has been built southeast of the proposed site,” said the developer.

“The dwellings are set back from the A5 by using Raxster Drive and additional planting as a buffer between the properties and the A5.

“As there is the remnant of a medieval moat present on site, an archaeological assessment has been undertaken. The proposed plan protects and retains this feature by incorporating it into public open space.”

The outline planning application submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council in October said that there would be a mixture of detached and semi-detached properties.

A ‘small’ block of flats over three stories was proposed to be built close to St Georges Park Care Centre ‘to help minimise any impact’.

The Telford & Wrekin Council’s highways, ecology and drainage departments all raised fears about the development, along with the Shropshire Playing Fields Association.

The plans faced over 100 letters of objection and the application was ‘called-in’ for Telford & Wrekin Council’s planning committee to decide.

St Georges and Priorslee Parish also lodged a formal objection to the proposal after ‘a large number of parishioners’ attended a meeting in November to express their opposition to the plans.

They highlighted that the site is not part of the Telford & Wrekin Council’s Local Plan and that schools, GP surgeries and roads in the area are ‘already stretched to breaking point’.

“In part, this is due to the number of new housing developments in the area which have not yet built these planned facilities,” argued the parish council. “Public transport is also sadly lacking.

“This all requires investment and development before the area could cope with additional residents.”

They added that the potential for development has led to the closure of the farm shop on the site.

“This is a loss of a local amenity and the parish council would like to see this amenity retained and brought back as a business,” the council added.

“If it were possible, the green space would be used as a market garden and considerable space being used as parish allotments, something sadly lacking in the area”

The parish council argued that Limekiln Roundabout and the A5 are already ‘very busy at peak times’.

“The report provided by the developers does not match the real-world experience of local residents,” they added.

“The proposed junction from the development on to the A5 will have a detrimental impact on traffic flows in to the centre of Telford for the length of time it takes to build that junction.

“Limekiln roundabout will grind to a halt and traffic will be gridlocked. As a consequence, traffic will spread out on to local roads, particularly Church Street in St Georges and Priorslee Avenue.”

They added that there would be noise disturbance for the existing properties which currently ‘enjoy a relatively tranquil rear aspect’.

Telford & Wrekin councillor Rachael Tyrrell, ward member for Priorslee, said that the parish council had listened to ‘very real concerns’ of local residents.

“This demonstrates an over-development of the site; the plans indicate a lack of parking, which will lead to multiple vehicles being parked on roads; blocks of flats are not in keeping with the natural existing village style residential area,” she commented.

The applicant has now withdrawn the proposal.