350 homes to be built in Telford as major development approved
Hundreds of homes will be built on a new estate after plans that have been in the pipeline for nearly six decades were approved.
The 105-acre site, known as The Hem, lies near Stirchley Interchange in Telford and has been zoned for housing since the ‘New Town Masterplan’ was drawn up in 1965.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s planning committee has now granted outline approval for the construction of up to 350 houses on the land, which will come with an investment of £2.6 million in local schools and other infrastructure.
A quarter of the homes will be affordable, and the scheme also includes play areas and open space.
The exact layout of the development and size and of the properties will be subject to a later application, but the council and Homes England, who own the land, say it will include a mix of two- three- and four-bed homes.
The decision comes after members deferred the application at a previous meeting in December over concerns about the impact on traffic and Nedge Farm Riding Centre, and the distance between the site and any facilities.
When the committee reconvened on Wednesday evening, planning officers said they had looked into the issues and no changes were being proposed.
Lorna Cooper, from the riding school, spoke at the meeting about the impact the development would have - including the proposal to downgrade Nedge Lane to a pedestrian, cycle and bridleway route and divert access to the riding centre through the new estate, which she said would “pose many problems and safety issues”.
Ms Cooper also asked the committee to consider preventing a section of the site, which is currently used by the riding school under a lease agreement with Homes England, from being included in the development.
Under the indicative site masterplan, the removal of this land, to the south of Nedge Farmhouse, would see the total number of homes cut from 350 to 301.
However the planning agent acting for the council and Homes England told members the lease was due to end in February 2023, and the land had always been allocated for housing.
He added that the council had been in contact with the riding school to discuss the possible lease of some other fields to the north of the farmhouse, and “this application would therefore not lead to the closure of the riding stables”.
Addressing the lack of any retail or other services on the development, the agent said the site was allocated for purely residential development in the council’s local development plan.
Planning officers added that if the applicant wanted to deviate from this and provide a shop on the site, it would require an assessment of the potential impact this could have on existing businesses nearby.
Turning to the traffic concerns, officers told the committee that forecasts showed the new homes would result in an extra 230 vehicle movements on the local highway network at peak times, but that this would not cause an unacceptable impact.
Members voted in favour of the application, with seven for and two against.
