'Like living in a warzone': Residents claim Telford village project is making lives a misery
Residents living near a proposed village project in Telford claim their lives have been made a misery and are now living in "warzone-like" conditions.
Phase 11 of the Lawley Village project is for 600 homes to be built on fields off Station Road, Martingale Way, Huntginton Drive and Concorde.
The development was given outline planning permission in 2005 and work to move materials onto the site while a reserved matters application, submitted earlier this year by the Lawley Village Developer Group, is considered has been ongoing.
But residents and councillors in the area say lorries using Ladygrove Lane, a restricted byway included in development proposals, has caused months of "noise, dust, vibrations, foul fumes and muddy, dangerous roads".
Lawley Parish Councillor John Yorke, who represents Dawley Bank, said doubts had been raised about whether the lane should be used.
Councillor Yorke said: "The parish council, as one of its objections to the reserved matters planning application, defined doubt over the ownership of Ladygrove Lane, a restricted byway that is crossed by the proposed development site.
"The proposal creates three highway crossings right across Ladygrove, one of which would be the main highway link through the whole estate between Concorde and White Church roundabout.
"Ladygrove is not even a formal tarmac road and not a road open to all traffic, only those seeking access to properties."
James Dunn, director of prosperity and investment at Telford & Wrekin Council, said the use of the lane was being "examined by developers".
He said: "Ladygrove is a restricted byway and not owned or adopted by the council. The council cannot therefore grant or refuse any use of the lane as this is a civil matter."
Sharon Dalton, whose family has lived on Ladygrove Lane for about a century, added: "The lane has been marked on the developer's plans as having three roads to be built over it in the future.
"This private road and its surrounding residents are now subject to trucks hauling contaminated soil from other building sites – the stench is horrendous."
Work on Phase 11, which is located in a flood zone, was given a temporary stop notice by Telford & Wrekin Council in August this year due to "unauthorised importation of soil from outside the area".
The council's development management service delivery manager said it could "increase the risk of flooding".
Mr Dunn said: "The stop notice was imposed when the council became aware other material from outside of the Lawley outline application was being imported onto the site.
"This went beyond the outline approval and was therefore not considered appropriate ahead of the reserved matters decision.
"The decision was required immediately, and therefore a temporary stop notice was served.
"The importation of this material therefore ceased, but the movement of material around the outline application site can continue."
The reserved matters application has received more than 120 objections, including from Telford MP Lucy Allan and the Coal Authority, and is set to be considered in coming months.
