665 houses, offices and shops: New town planned on green fields in Telford
A new town could be built on green fields in Telford, with 665 houses, offices, new shops, play areas and new public transport access.
Residents living in near the site, currently used as arable land, today described the plans as "a city in the making".
Proposals have been put forward for land north of Breton Park Residential Caravan Park, Off New Trench Road in Muxton.
The proposals are for predominantly residential development over two areas of land divided by the A518.
But people living in the area say it will totally change the area and take away the rural aspect of Muxton - and Telford & Wrekin Council has reportedly already said it will refuse the application.
The plans seek outline permission for a mixed-use development with a maximum of 665 houses, buildings for commercial or employment use as offices or light industrial work and a new neighbourhood centre including shops and restaurants.
There will be a public open space, play areas, ecological habitats, balancing ponds, a new vehicular accesses off New Trench Road, including new roundabout junction and Wellington Road, new public transport, cycle and pedestrian access off Richards Road together with associated car parking, landscaping, infrastructure and ancillary facilities.
A retail statement outlining plans for the new shops says the neighbourhood centre will meet the need for facilities in the area, and those created by the proposals.
The new population in the with the residential element of the proposal will increase available retail expenditure in the area by around £6.6 million per year.
In the planning statement it says it is anticipated that the development will include one, two, three, four and five bedroom houses and low rise apartments. Affordable housing will also be included in the scheme.
The land was previously included in the neighbourhood plan for future development in Telford but was later removed by Telford & Wrekin Council.
In the statement it says the council has already indicated to developers that it would be minded to refuse the proposals.
It says: "The proposal has been discussed with the local planning authority at numerous meetings at pre-application stage.
"Feedback has been broadly positive about the overall composition and quality of the masterplanning exercise undertaken, but the council has maintained its stance that it has in place a sufficient supply of housing land, and as such there is no requirement to release the application site for additional housing or other uses.
"As such, the local planning authority has indicated that it will refuse the application."
The plans were submitted on behalf of developer Tesni Properties Ltd, whose director John Beardsall said he was "excited" about the development, which he said would compliment Telford.
But some residents have objected to the plans, including Patrick Gamble, of Wellington Road in Muxton, who said: "This will destroy the villages of Muxton and Lilleshall. With other proposals in the pipeline, the green fields will be gone.There are plenty of brownfield sites around Telford which should be used. Along with other schemes this will turn our villages into what looks like a city in the making."
