Shropshire Star

Protesters win home battle

Residents of one of the "jewels" in Shropshire's crown were celebrating today after planners called time on developers building a house in their town.

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Residents of one of the "jewels" in Shropshire's crown were celebrating today after planners called time on developers building a house in their town.

More than 100 residents of Much Wenlock turned out to protest yesterday at the site of the controversial building in Falcons Court.

They wanted to show the strength of opposition to the development by Bennett Homes to Shropshire Council members who were visiting the site ahead of a crunch planning meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

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The councillors, members of an area regulatory committee, later voted at the meeting to refuse a revised planning application for the home and they further agreed to enforce an order to demolish the partially built property.

Bob May, Much Wenlock town clerk, told the meeting that the development encroached on to neighbouring land which included the former Barclays Bank, a listed 15th century building.

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Howard Horseley, for Much Wenlock Civic Society, said: "This building has caused greater offence than any other in the town. The civic society contends in its objection that the entire application was unlawful because the original did not state that it was encroaching on the Barclays Bank property, which is now owned by a local businessman."

Councillor Milner Whiteman said: "This ugly building is disliked by the whole community.

"The best option is to demolish and start again."

Prior to the plans being thrown out, Peter Fenwick, for the developers, said the company had made design improvements since the initial application and offered to render the building with a limestone wash to replicate the character of other buildings.

By Simon Hardy

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