Housing plan for pub car park near Telford approved after lengthy row

Applicant Raj Patel submitted plans to build houses in the car park of the former Lion Inn at Waters Upton in Telford and Wrekin.

Last year the same applicant won a planning appeal against Telford & Wrekin Council for one home to be built on the land.

“The principle of residential development on this backland area has already been established by the appeal consent,” concluded the applicant in their design and access statement.

A council planning officer commented that although the latest application was for two homes of three bedrooms each, the schemes were ‘similar’. He said that the council was satisfied with the proposals and that the site was large enough to accommodate the homes.

“There are a mixture of dwellings within the immediate area, varying in terms of their overall design; [council] officers are therefore satisfied with the design of the proposed dwellings, which will respect and respond positively to the context of the application site, whilst being in keeping with the character and appearance of the surrounding area,” concluded the council’s planning officer.

“Given the positioning of the proposed dwellings on the application site and the distance separation between neighbouring dwellings, officers are satisfied that the proposed scheme will not result in any significantly detrimental harm upon the residential amenity of neighbouring properties, by way of nearness, loss of privacy or an overbearing impact being caused.”

The council’s highways authority, drainage and ecology departments all supported the plans subject to conditions.

Waters Upton Parish Council initially raised ‘a number of objections’ which included concerns about drainage being connected to the existing pumping station at Upton Stones.

Following the objection the applicant made amendments to the scheme including the drainage being connected to an existing ‘gravity-fed sewer’.

Objections were also received from neighbours of the proposed homes regarding a loss of privacy.

“Officers are satisfied that there is sufficient distance separation between the proposed dwellings and neighbouring properties; therefore, the dwellings will not result in any significantly detrimental harm upon the residential amenity of neighbouring properties,” concluded the planning officer.

A concern was also raised that the first submitted plans ‘protrude into the open countryside’.

Amended plans were made with the red line boundary being altered extending no further back than a previous application.