News homes planned at former Pipe Gate rubber factory

Plans were today unveiled to build 35 homes on the site of a former rubber factory near Market Drayton as plans were submitted to Shropshire Council.

The application includes building estate roads and pedestrian access at the former site of Phoenix Rubber Ltd, in Pipe Gate, near Woore.

The scheme is for 31 four-bedroom and four five-bedroom detached houses.

Today parish councillors backed the proposals, claiming they would regenerate the area.

The plans, submitted by Taylor Wimpey Ltd, originally got the go-ahead in September 2007 but that permission had expired. The applicants are now looking to get local support for the scheme for a second time.

Parish councillors said they had yet to study the re-submitted application in detail but admitted they supported previous plans as they were keen to see the disused site put to good use.

Stephen Clifford, chairman of Woore Parish Council, said: "The parish council supported the original application after we felt the site in Pipe Gate was ideal for the new homes as part of the Local Development Framework.

"The site is a disused factory and there is little chance of it ever being used for industrial purposes in the future.

"The site has been cleared and the parish council feel there is a need to regenerate the area. It also means that new housing isn't eating into the green belt."

A statement on behalf of the applicant says: "The redevelopment of the Phoenix site would be desirable for the locality which has been faced with a mothballed site for almost three years."

The public has until August 27 to comment on the new plans as part of the consultation over the development.