Plan to build first of up to 1,000 homes on former Ironbridge Power Station site takes step forward

Councillors gave their unanimous support for the design appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the first 107 dwellings that will eventually be built in the highly sensitive landscape area.

Shropshire Council's southern planning committee was told that the first phase of the development - called Benthall Grange - is the gateway to the entire site. Proposals have been batted backwards and forwards between the developers for months.

But on Tuesday the elected members of the committee decided that they now have a scheme that they can support and voted it through after barely half an hour.

Other reserved matters such as dealing with flooding and the layout of roads will have to be cleared before the redevelopment can go ahead.

No public objectors were present at the meeting in Shirehall, Shrewsbury, where councillors were told that the site is close to the River Severn, the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, Buildwas Abbey and a multitude of other listed buildings.

Council officers told the committee that the site is a gateway to the whole final scheme and they worked with independent design experts to get it right.

A previous reserved matters scheme put forward by developers was refused by the council just a few days before Christmas in 2023 under delegated powers.

This rejection included nine reasons for refusal which officers now consider have been satisfactorily overcome within the current scheme. The number of homes in the first tranche of homes has been reduced from 109 to 107 with some six earmarked to be 'affordable'.

Councillors were shown a fly through video of the scheme, which involved designs of three storey homes overlooking the river Severn.

Councillors liked the idea of a tree-lined avenue in the middle of the development although they were concerned that there may be a conflict between pedestrians and cyclists and through-traffic. But they were told this would be the subject of specific design work.

Councillor Nick Hignett said following a site visit in the morning he was "very much in favour of this.

"I like the idea of a tree-lined avenue through the middle of it. The site is well screened and is a very acceptable development."

Following a short discussion the matter was put to the vote and unanimously supported by all 10 members of the committee.