Questions raised on Whitchurch and Hodnet housing proposals

An application has been submitted to build 10 homes next to Bridgewater Street in Whitchurch and there is also a proposal to build 14 homes in Hodnet, near Market Drayton.

Saxonby (Affordable Housing) Limited wants to build a block of four apartments and two sets of three terraced houses in Whitchurch.

Planning permission was previously granted for two semi-detached homes on the site. However an application for three terrace houses was refused.

The current application includes the land which was subject to both of these previous applications and an additional area of land.

Whitchurch councillor Rob Hewson said: "The town council has objected for a number of reasons including over-developed site, a dangerous access, loss of green space, possible bat roost and traffic issues.

"The access is right by Tesco and would not be safe to have people pulling out."

Three letter of representation have also been received from the public echoing similar concerns.

West Mercia Police has also commented, not formally objecting.

Developers have said in their application that the 10 homes will be affordable and will not impact negatively on the architecture of the nearby listed buildings, or the character and appearance of the area.

They also stated the access to the proposed development will use an existing private access road from Bridgewater Street to not compromise the safety of the existing highway network with regard to capacity and visibility.

In a separate application, developers want to build 14 homes off Drayton Road in Hodnet.

Just outside the current development boundary, the site lies on greenfield land and the proposals include a footpath link to Wollerton.

Hodnet Parish Council has objected saying the village is in the process of accepting a 25 per cent increase in its housing stock and needs time to adjust to these social pressures. It also objected because the plans are outside the development boundary.

There have been 31 public comments of objection and three public comments of support. The grounds for objection include that the village does not need more houses, Drayton Road would not cope with the increase in traffic and pedestrian access from the site to the village is dangerous.

Both proposals will be discussed at a meeting of the north Shropshire planning committee at 2pm in Shirehall, Shrewsbury, on June 9.