Go-ahead urged over huge Newport scheme
Highly contentious plans for up to 350 houses, industrial units and a care home in Newport look like being given the go-ahead by planning bosses – two years after they were first mooted.
Davidsons Developments and St Modwen Developments want to build the huge development on a site to the east and west of Station Road, linking up with Audley Avenue.
The scheme was first revealed in October 2011 but has taken more than two years to come before council planning chiefs.
The application will be considered by Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee at its meeting next Wednesday, at 6pm at The Whitehouse Hotel in Wellington.
It is recommended for approval by planning officers.
But the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles has already indicated that he wants to take a look at the plans if they are approved by the council.
The application has been amended to remove a Sainsbury's supermarket and petrol station.
But it still includes up to 350 houses, 35 per cent of which would be "affordable", an 80-bed care home and 4.5 hectares of employment land.
Factories in Audley Avenue Enterprise Park would have to be demolished as part of the scheme, but not until 2022 at the earliest.
Almost 400 people wrote letters of objections against the original plans which included the supermarket.
There have also been objections from Chetwynd Aston & Woodcote Parish Council, Church Aston Parish Council, the local Liberal Democrats, Newport Regeneration Partnership, Newport Town Council, Newport & District Civic Society and the Save Newport Campaign Group.
Many of the objectors point to the "overdevelopment" of Newport. Plans for more than 600 houses have already been passed elsewhere in and around the town.
There are also concerns about flooding and extra strain on services including schools, doctors and dentists.
But in her report, Kate Stephens, a planning officer for the council, said that more houses were needed to hit the 60-a-year target.
She said: "Historic build rates for Newport show that the 60-a-year build out target has not been met, with only an average of 38 dwellings having been built per year since 2006."
The houses would be built in phases over 11 years, the application says.
There would be 35 two-beds, 123 three-beds, 157-four beds and 35-five beds.
The developers would be made to pay £862,592 towards education in Newport, £820,000 towards road improvements and £360,000 towards public transport.
Work could start in 2015, the application says.
