Houses approved despite concerns
Approval has been granted for 94 new houses in Telford, despite concerns some of the homes could be “cramped” and not conform to incoming space standards.
Lioncourt Homes Ltd had applied to build either side of Gatcombe Way, Priorslee, and pledged to provide more than £500,000 for local roads and facilities. Telford and Wrekin’s Planning Committee voted in favour, as recommended by a planners’ report.
That document originally said the one-to four-bedroom homes were all built to government Nationally Described Space Standards, but an update on the day of the debate said this was not the case.
Planning officer Mark Turner said the standards were “going through a period of implementation” and Worcester-based company’s application was “one of the last ones” for which they were not compulsory.
The seven-and-a-half-acre site is split into two sections by Gatcombe Way.
Katie Parsons, acting as agent for Lioncourt, told the committee the 94-home estate will include 24 affordable homes, 21 of which will be designed to accessible standards. Contributions of more than £390,000 towards local schools, £79,000 for highways improvements, £42,000 for play areas were promised, as well as £5,000 for traffic regulation orders on Gatcombe way, if needed.
Committee member Ian Fletcher, who represents the Priorslee ward, said the update about space standards “glaringly stands out”.
The one-page document said: “This update is intended to inform the planning committee of an error in the original report which suggests that all properties are to be built to the government’s Nationally Described Space Standards.
“This is not the case, although a significant number of units are still to be built to these standards.
“Pre-application advice was provided prior to the submission of the full application where it was agreed that the development would not need to be built to this standard to ensure viability of the scheme and to include the four bungalows as proposed.”
Councillor Fletcher said: “Does that mean we are going to be allowing properties that don’t meet the space standards?
“Is it going to be cramped in there?”
Mr Turner told him the standards were in a “implementation period” towards becoming compulsory.
“This application is one of the last ones going through that transition period.
“In terms of the size of the units, I don’t believe they are explicitly cramped or too small to function as they are intended.”
The committee voted to delegate the final approval to council planning officers. They will formally give the green-light once final technical details about drainage and the recreation area funding are approved.
