Plans for hundreds of Telford homes to be decided by public inquiry

The hearings will be held in the new year after developers behind housing projects in Wellington and Muxton appealed against decisions made by members of Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee last night to refuse planning permission.

Proposals put forward by Gladman Developments Ltd to build 330 homes north of Haygate Road in Wellington had been given outline planning approval in March last year. But councillors took another look at the plans in the wake of a ruling earlier this year that the authority already had enough housing land for the next five years.

A 110-home development in Muxton Lane, Muxton, which was thrown out by councillors in December, was also denied permission again.

The hearing for the homes in Muxton will be held on January 26 and for the Wellington proposal on February 16.

Residents at the meeting at the Whitehouse Hotel welcomed the decision to throw out the proposals for Wellington.

Councillor Jacqui Seymour, who represents Wrockwardine, said: "It is regretted that the arguments now being put forward against the proposal were not used 15 months ago by the planning officers."

John Pattinson, of Haygate Fields Group, a residents' group campaigning against the homes, said that the committee needed to understand that the situation has changed since they last considered this application in May 2014.

He said: "In March 2015 the council established that it had a five-year housing land supply and the committee can now make a more balanced decision."

Valerie Hulme, development management team leader at Telford and Wrekin Council, said there were reasons why the application had been approved before but was recommended for refusal now.