Apartment plans for former Wrekin Housing Trust offices in Telford refused over lack of parking

The former offices of the Wrekin Housing Trust in the centre of Donnington have remained empty since the trust vacated the premises during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Last year, the two-storey premises on The Parade was put up for sale for offers over £300,000. 

In March, the new owners submitted a planning application in the hopes of converting the building into a block of eight one-bedroom flats. 

The application was made despite the building having no on-site parking. In accordance with the council's parking standards, 11 car parking spaces would be required for a development of that size.

But the applicant argued that the existing use of the building - an office - would also require off-site parking provision. 

In the application, it was estimated that car ownership would more to be around 0.65 cars per flat, rather than the council's standard of 1.3 spaces - meaning only five spaces would be required. 

The applicant suggested those five spaces could have been found in one of the 422 parking spaces within a 200m walk of the site - on public roads including Baldwin Webb Avenue, Turreff Avenue and James Way.

The application attracted backlash from some neighbours, including the owner of Spice Masala - a takeaway restaurant close to the site. 

Mr Ikbal Kahn wrote: "My business will be affected, spaces will be taken by the residents and not available for my customers."

Telford & Wrekin's highways team also objected to the plan, writing: "This statement suggests that parking provision for the development can be provided away from the development on adjacent streets outside of parking controls, as such this parking cannot be controlled by way of condition or by the applicant and as such the Local Highways Authority does not support the use of off street parking in such a way. 

"[We are] unable to support the application owing to the lack of parking provision and the detrimental impact this could have on the highway and other highway users."

The application was subsequently refused by the council's planning officers, who said the lack of parking meant the plans were "unacceptable".

The full planning application is available to view online, on Telford & Wrekin Council's planning portal, using reference number: TWC/2025/0212