New homes recommended for approval

The recommendation comes despite fears that roads won't be able to cope with the amount of traffic that the development will generate.

The land on the eastern edge of Oswestry, next to the town's bypass, is designated as a 'sustainable urban extension'.

Concerns from Highways England over the effect the extra housing will have on the A5/A483 roads have put the plans on hold.

But earlier this year the government announced a £9.3 million grant to allow two roundabouts on the bypass to be built and a new one to be constructed on the Shrewsbury Road, overcoming the problems.

In a report to Shropshire Council's north planning committee, which meets on April 3, planning officer Philip Mullineux said the J Ross development would include 60 affordable dwellings.

It would also provide open space, a new link road between Middleton Road and Shrewsbury Road and pedestrian and cycleway provision.

Mr Mullineux said there would be a new roundabout, which will replace the current priority T-junction arrangement at Shrewsbury Road/Maes-Y-Clawdd industrial estate.

"A secondary access point to the site will be provided to the north via a continuation of Middleton Road, and this route will be suitably traffic-calmed to prevent ‘rat running’," he said.

Oswestry would benefit from approximately £1.8m of community infrastructure funding which the council will need to ring-fence for primary and secondary school provision, play facilities and additional highway infrastructure associated with the strategic road network.

The application has led to worries about how the local infrastructure will cope.

Oswestry Rural Parish Council has expressed worries about the effect the development will have on services including the local doctors' surgeries. Councillors also said they considered the proposed site layout had the potential to become a rat run to avoid busy routes."

The town council supports the development in principle but has called for assurances over the capacity of the existing infrastructure and its capability to accommodate such a large development together with the potential economic growth as planned for this area of Oswestry.

Local objectors say roads will not be able to cope with the extra traffic.