Developers unveil £2.6 million social housing plan in Telford
Plans have been unveiled for a £2.6 million social housing development on land near the former Wellington cottage hospital.
The scheme is for 14 one-bedroom flats and four three-bedroom homes for rent, aimed at increasing the amount of suitable accommodation in the community for adults with learning difficulties, teenagers leaving care and long stay hospital patients. It includes a communal hub, kitchen area, a site office, car parking and landscaped gardens.
It is being developed by social landlord Bromford Housing Association in partnership with Telford & Wrekin Council's Myplace property unit.
If the scheme gets the green light it would offer an independent home to residents next to the former Wellington Cottage Care Hospital from the NHS.
A design and access statement in the planning report states: "The intention is to create a small high-quality residential development on the edge of Wellington town centre on the land off Haygate Road which delivers a mix of accommodation for both general needs and for residents with long term needs, as well as delivering ecological improvements to the green space within the site."
It also states: "The proposed development site, which has been deemed surplus land by NHS Estates, is an irregular shaped piece of open land which lies within the curtilage and to the south west and south east of the Wellington Cottage Care Trust Home (formally the Cottage Hospital), to the south of Haygate Lane, which lies to the south west of Wellington Town centre.
"The site is accessed off Haygate Lane, between no’s. 77 and 83, through the Wellington Cottage Care Trust Home site, which is currently, served by an existing private drive."
Demand
Commenting on the application West Mercia Police has advised the developer to incorporate "design out crime" features in the project.
Bromford said it had been working closely with Telford & Wrekin Council on the project and added that there was a need for a third MyPlace scheme to meet demand.
Bromford’s new business manager Josie Bishton said: “We are really pleased to have exchanged contracts with the landowner on this site which is in a very desirable location close to the centre of Wellington with its vast array of shops, restaurants, parks and leisure centres.
“As one of the main housing providers in Shropshire, this is an area we know well and where we are really keen to invest in. This 18 home development will not only provide affordable housing for local people, but also give vulnerable people the opportunity to live in a safe and secure environment where they can take control of their own life, reduce their dependency and ultimately live more independently.”
Completed Bromford and MyPlace developments are sites in Little Dawley and Orchard Place, in Donnington.
Consultation over the application ends on April 25.
