Go-ahead for 8,000 Telford homes in development blueprint

Former school sites are among potential plots being eyed for housing. The former Phoenix Secondary School in Great Dawley could accommodate 315 houses, according to the plan.

Another 127 could be at the former Sutherland School, in Trench, and 221 at the former Charlton School, in Wellington.

Today the Shropshire Star publishes the council wish list of building sites.

Some of the biggest development sites are the former Sugar Beet Factory Site in Allscott and Maxell Expansion Land in Apley Castle which have a potential housing yield of 500 each.

Another 563 houses could be built across four phases at the Nedge in Stirchley and another 335 properties could be built across three phases of Lawley village. But there are also smaller plots, such as 10 houses on Church Road Lilleshall, and 10 between Holyhead Road and Ley Brook, Ketley.

Telford & Wrekin Council approved the next phase of the Shaping Places plan at its meeting last night.

Formal consultation will start on Tuesday on the 80 sites as the council sets out its plans for development over the next 17 years.

This part of the plan proposes a target of building a total of 20,000 homes over the 20-year plan period, which began in 2011. Nearly 12,000 homes already have planning permission, so about 8,000 more are needed to deliver the target.

Councillor Charles Smith, cabinet member for housing, development and borough towns, said: "Telford and Wrekin was originally designed for, and remains focused on, providing residents and visitors alike with good housing and a healthy living environment with plenty of accessible open spaces."

The Shaping Places blueprint represent a balancing act that aims to meet the needs of the borough while keeping it as an enjoyable place to live, work and visit.

Nearly 12,000 homes already have planning permission, so about 8,000 more are needed to deliver the target.

Consultation on the proposed sites continues until 5pm on June 17.

The council said the planned developments would seek to strike a balance between urban and rural development and the plan supports an arc of employment around the east of Telford to take advantage of the town's national motorway and rail links.

Councillor Charles Smith, cabinet member for housing regeneration and economic development, said: "We need to ensure that Telford is an attractive place to live, work and play in and attractive to tourists too.

"This blueprint shows how we are going to do all of these things.

"I can assure members the plan will be produced on time, as quickly as any plan in the country following the National Planning Policy Framework.

"By 2031, Telford and Wrekin will have grown to more than 200,000 people. The consultation document has a target of about 20,000 new homes by then.

"There are 11,885 homes with planning permission, so about 8,000 are needed to meet the target."

Conservative Councillor Nigel Dugmore said he broadly supported parts of the plan, but added: "We should have been having this discussion a few years ago, before the NPPF came into force.

"This administration is guilty of a woeful dereliction of duty. The proposed sites should be more focused on brownfield sites, and consideration should also be given to infrastructure and the effect on existing facilities."

The NPPF is government guidance which assumes planning permission should be granted unless there is an over-riding reason to refuse it.

The government also requires councils to have a five year supply of housing land always available, but does not allow land which already has planning permission but which has not been developed to be included.

Conservative councillors have claimed several times that the lack of a five year land bank has left Telford & Wrekin susceptible to speculative developers, who put in planning applications for green sites knowing the council will find it difficult to refuse on planning grounds.

Councillor Shaun Davies told the Tories to complain to their own government if they did not like the policy. He pointed out that only two people in the borough had the opportunity to vote on it – Telford's Labour MP David Wright voted against but the Conservative Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard voted in favour of it.

Comments received during the consultation will be used to finalise the definitive Shaping Places plan.

The council said the planned developments would seek to strike a balance between urban and rural development and the plan supports an arc of employment around the east of Telford to take advantage of the town's national motorway and rail links.

The plan will be available to view and comment on at hhor in person at any Telford & Wrekin library or First Point customer service site.

The 80 sites on Telford’s building wish-list:

Consultation sites and the number of houses proposed:

• Chetwynd: South of 13 Sambrook – 32

• Chartley, Newport – 90

• Back of Willow Tree Cottage, Station Road, Newport – 51

• Majestic Way, Aqueduct – 89

• Farm Lane 2, Horsehay – 28

• Plot D, Pool Hill Road, Dawley – 78

• Park Lane, High Ercall – 52

• High Ercall, North, Ercall Magna – 40

• Sunnycroft, Ercall Magna –10

• The Former Phoenix Secondary School – 315

• Southwater – 180

• Maxell Expansion Land – 500

• Apley Home Farm – 50

• Nedge Hill Farm – 256

• Land between Holyhead Road and Ley Brook, Ketley – 19

• 88-102 Potters Bank, Holyhead Road, Ketley – 22

• Old Park Roundabout – 24

• Hall Park Car Park off Hall Park Way – 35

• Lawley Drive – 80

• Lawley Village North – Phase 4 – 183

• Lawley Village North – Phase 3 –114

• Lawley Village West – Phase 2 – 38

• Rock Road, The Rock – 26

• Land north of Synders Way, Lawley – 157

• South of New Trench Road, Donnington – 265

• Site 87, Breton Park Extension – 23

• Site 88, Wellington Road, Donnington – 106

• Church Road Lilleshall – 10

• Next to Wellington Road, Donnington – 40

• Station Road, Donnington – 339

• Donnington Farm – 120

• North of New Trench Road, Donnington – 700

• North of Redhill, Watling Street – 450

• Church Road, Lilleshall – 10

• North of A518, Donnington – 513

• Land South of A518, Donnington, Telford – 615

• West of Ironbridge Road – 40

• Overspill Car Park, Legges Way – 25

• West of Woodside Avenue –148

• Sites at Lees Farm Drive – 44

• Former Madeley Court School Site – 133

• Madeley Wildwood Development Site, Woodside – 25

• Newport Land south of Beechfields Way – 35

• Newport Land to rear of Beechfields Way – 149

• Land next to Teagues Bridge Primary School, Capewell Road – 19

• Land off Wombridge Road, Wombridge – 24

• Former Church, Main Road, Ketley Bank – 14

• Land at Fairways, Rodington Heath – 33

• Land to the rear of Elmlea, Rodington – 51

• West of Campus, Shifnal Road, Priorslee – 30

• Daisy Bank Drive, St Georges – 35

• Woodhouse, Priorslee – 1,100

• South of the Nedge, Phase 1 – 139

• South of the Nedge, Phase 4 – 185

• South of the Nedge, Phase 3 – 116

• South of the Nedge, Phase 2 – 123

• The Former Swan Centre, Grange Avenue, Stirchley – 21

• Beeches Hospital – 120

• Land next to The Beeches Hospital – 107

• Plantation- 5, Tibberton – 50

• Opposite Tibberton Shop – 37

• Sutherland Farm, Tibberton – 14

• Plantation- 1, Tibberton – 28

• Plantation- 3, Tibberton – 38

• Corner of Plantation Road and Back Lane, Tibberton – 25

• Site 2 at Sutherland Farm, Tibberton – 34

• East of Hanford Terrace – Site 4 Catsbritch Lane – 24

• South of Chapel House, Crudgington – 25

• South Site 3, White House Farm, Waters Upton – 43

• South of White House Farm – 60

• Land at Crudgington – 130

• Former Arrive Bus Depot, Charlton Street, Wellington – 20

• Land off North Road, Wellington – 44

• The Charlton School, Severn Drive, Dothill,, Wellington – 221

• Land west of Brandon Avenue, Wrockwardine – 56

• East of Bratton Road, Wrockwardine – 106

• Former Sugar Beet Factory Site, Allscott, Wrockwardine – 500

• Sutherland School, Gibbons Road – 127