Telford housing plan turned down over college music block noise concern
Permission has been refused for three new houses in Telford because they would be next door to a college music block and planners cannot rule out noise disturbance.
Wrekin College applied for outline permission to build the homes on the site of the Wrekin Day Nursery in Wellington.
But Telford & Wrekin Council planning officers noted that the college’s music block is adjacent to the Sutherland Avenue site, and applicants were not able to demonstrate that the proposed dwellings would not undermine the existing use.
A supporting statement, prepared by planning consultant Sophie Moore of Shrewsbury-based surveyors Berrys, said: “The proposed site represents an infill plot and is bordered on three sides by residential development.
Appraisal
“The linear development of houses on Exeter Drive are located directly adjacent to the site and there is an existing property on the site itself which is currently used as a music block for Wrekin College.”
An appraisal by planning officers said: “No further information has been supplied in regards to how often this building is used by the college, how many students use the building, the times in which this building is in use or what activities take place in the building.”
It added that, without this, the authority was “unable to be confident that the music block will not cause any significant adverse impacts by way of noise, on the amenity of the residents of the proposed dwellings.
“It is therefore considered that without this additional information, the proposed dwellings would prejudice the use of the music block.”
A refusal letter, dated Wednesday, August 4, says this was one of the reasons behind planners’ decision.
The other reason was that the proposed homes would “cause an unnecessary fragmentation of the curtilage of the host building.”
