Newport to grow by 616 homes as plans allowed
Newport is to increase in size by 616 homes after controversial plans were given the go-ahead.
Three applications for sites in the south of Newport were approved by members of Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee at a meeting last night.
Outline permission was given to build 350 homes on either side of Station Road, 215 at Audley Avenue and 51 homes behind Willow Tree Cottage, Station Road, at the meeting held at the Telford College of Arts and Technology.
But each application scraped through, amid strong opposition from campaigners sitting in the public gallery.
The approval for each was in principle and there will be more planning stages to go through before final approval, which could see a change in house numbers and layout.
The plans were reviewed after Telford & Wrekin Council's five-year housing land supply statement was ratified.
It means the authority has met its housing quota for the next five years but councillors on the committee were reminded by officers that it would not be acceptable to use that as a reason to refuse applications and the council should also plan for long-term housing need.
Newport-based borough councillor Peter Scott, a member of the planning committee, who voted to refuse all three, said: "We should at least be deferring these applications until other houses being built in Newport are finished and we know we have a need and what that need is."
But Councillor Chris Turley, speaking about the Station Road application, said: "We need to encourage employment opportunities and encourage living and working in Newport and encourage a young working population."
A plan for a home to be built at Lyndale, Middle Lane, Cold Hatton Heath, Telford was deferred for a decision at a later date.
