‘Perverse’ decision to refuse Newport children’s nursery relocation could be contested at appeal

Childrensworld Newport had wanted to change the use of the former Outdoor Focus store on the Mere Park Garden Centre site, to relocate and expand its childcare provision.

Bosses had wanted two baby rooms, two toddler rooms, two preschool rooms and staff space to expand to 118 places and recruit local people to fill 10 additional full- time positions.

The replacement nursery was expected to employ approximately 40 people in total on a full- and part-time basis.

Telford & Wrekin Council planning officers concluded that the plan would break some of its policies and amount to “undesirable encroachment” into an area of land designated as rural.

Planners claim that it would lead to an “unrestricted and unlimited sprawl of development.”

The applicants disagree with the council’s definition of a rural area in this case - they say it can be defined as previously developed land.

Despite support from parents and Newport Town Council, officers at Telford & Wrekin Council decided that the application would break borough planning rules. It was not decided at a committee of councillors but under delegated powers.

A spokesperson for Childrensworld Newport said: “As you might expect we are extremely disappointed with the decision.

“We would like to thank all those who have been so supportive of our application, whether it has been the local community, the town council, or even the early years sector of the local authority.

“We have a conference lined up with counsel but our initial reading of the refusal is that it is perverse and on a number of points factually wrong, so it would seem that the next step will be an appeal with a full enquiry where the local planning authority can be cross-examined.

“Sadly, this causes delay and cost to everybody, but it is perhaps what we have come to expect from this authority.

“It also shows in our opinion why the Government believe a shake up of the planning system is necessary if the country is to see economic and social growth, especially as a growth in early years provision is a key priority for Government.”

But the council’s decision letter sent to the applicants last week said the council cannot support it because it is in what it calls a ‘rural area’ and does not relate to agriculture, forestry or assists in the diversification of the rural economy.

In a decision letter dated Friday, January 10, the council concluded that the proposal would introduce a large area of hardstanding and a new access point on land not considered to be previously developed land and located within the rural area.

“The local planning Authorityado not consider that part of the application site is previously developed land, as contested by the applicant,” the letter said.

It added that the council had not seen an appropriate business case to demonstrate that the proposal to develop a partly greenfield site will support the local economy and help sustain rural communities over and above what can be achieved on the existing nursery site.

It concluded that the LPA considered that the benefits of the plan do not outweigh the harm that would result in development within the rural area, resulting in “unrestricted and unlimited sprawl of development.”

Telford & Wrekin Council is this week standing by the decision.

A statement issued by the council on Monday, January 13, read: “As the local planning authority, the council acted proactively in line with Local Plan policies and the National Planning Policy Framework prior to the application refusal to identify matters of concern within the proposal and raise those with the applicant.

“However no satisfactory resolution could be reached so the application was refused for the reasons set out in the notice of the planning decision, including that the proposed site would encroach land designated as rural area.

“For all applicants, there is a right of appeal against the refusal of planning permission, which are detailed within the notice of the planning decision.

“All appeals are dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate, with decisions made by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.”