Housing plans putting Newport's identity at risk - claim
Newport's identity as a market town is being put at risk due to plans to build hundreds of homes on a number of greenfield sites across the town, it has been claimed.
David Parker, of the Save Newport Campaign Group, said the planned "sprawl of characterless new housing" would damage the town and ruin its historical charm.
It comes after plans to build 51 houses on land at the back of Willow Tree Cottage off Station Road were unveiled by Shropshire Homes. The site is just yards away from where Sainsbury's wants to build a large supermarket and where there are also plans for 350 more houses.
A new campaign group has been set up to block the latest development, and the Save Newport group has also objected.
Mr Parker said: "This application is yet another to add to the plethora of new-build on greenfield land, with the likely outcome of Newport completely losing its historic market town persona amidst a sprawl of characterless new housing.
"The sad thing about this frenzy of applications is that, if they go ahead, they will in fact kill the town's character.
"We ask the planning authority to call a halt on any more approvals while there are already 20 per cent more than the core strategy approved but not yet started and, importantly, to give preference to brownfield applications."
A dozen people who live near the Station Road site met on Monday and were joined by town councillor Tim Nelson.
Shropshire Homes managing director Howard Thorne said a meeting had been held with residents before the planning application was submitted and, as a result, plans had been altered.
But Trevor Pocock, who has lived at Station Court for 15 years, said there were still concerns about new properties overlooking the existing houses.
The 60-year-old said there were also worries about an increase in traffic. Mr Pocock said: "The land is two to three metres higher so we will be overlooked quite severely by the two storey buildings."
"Telford & Wrekin Council has already approved hundreds of houses in Newport – surely they should be built first before any more are given the go-ahead," he added and said the group now planned to lobby MP Mark Pritchard and borough councillors for support.
