Plans for 215 Newport homes set to get off the ground

A package of section 106 payments, which had been holding up the application, have now agreed by Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee and include provision for 17 per cent of the homes to be affordable housing - a reduction of 15 per cent from earlier plans, nearly £450,000 towards highways works, funding of £530,000 for education infrastructure and financial contributions for open space, a children's play area and allotments on the site. Land next to Burton Borough School will be handed over to the council to use as a new sports pitch.

The scheme for 215 new two, three and four-bed homes on land north of Audley Avenue had been on ice since November, 2012 when outline plans were given the go-ahead by Telford & Wrekin Council's plans board but planners at the authority and applicants St Modwen Properties had not previously entered into a section 106 agreement.

The plans will now be worked up towards a full application but four letters of objection received by the council show the proposals are proving controversial with neighbours, with particular concern at the drop in affordable housing provision.

One resident said: "To redress the balance of the number of affordable homes lost if the current planning applications succeed, would require a further large scale mixed housing development in Newport."

Another letter of objection added: ""Affordable housing supply in Newport has been the cornerstone of every application that has been passed. Developers should stick to their original plans."

At Wednesday's meeting, council Adrian Meredith said: "Here we are again with a situation of housing developers agreed with a certain percentage of low cost housing and it does not mean a thing when these approvals are made because they chop and change every time. When we approve them they are adamant we need low cost housing. We can't just keep chopping and changing all the time, developers will be walking all over us."