Plans progress for 195 rental houses on site of former Charlton School

Plans were approved earlier this month by Telford & Wrekin Council for homes to be built on the seven-acre site previously occupied by Charlton School on Severn Drive in Dothill.

Developer Vistry Partnerships is building the housing estate named Assembly Park – consisting of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses.

A subsequent planning application has been submitted for signage and hoarding boards – to hide construction – while the site is being developed.

“The site comprises of 195 single family homes for rent on the old Charlton School,” the planning application says.

“We are requesting consent for the install of temporary signage during the leasing phase of these units to assist prospective tenants with finding the site, and with wayfinding throughout the site.

“The signage is also proposed to assist with preserving the look and feel of the area whilst it is in the construction phase.

“The name and branding for the site has been heavily influenced by preserving the history of the area and the site itself. Throughout the naming and branding there are references to the site previously being a school (Assembly Park).

“The primary colours used throughout are green to represent the nature surrounding the site, and the orange that was the school colour of the old Charlton School.”

A previous planning document stated that the building work would be split into five build route phases with the building programme taking 31 months.

The site access is planned to be from Severn Drive and Harley Close and the developer previously anticipated that the first occupants would be in their homes nine months after work starts on the site.

The Assembly Park website says that the site has been designed with ‘ease of renting in mind’, help to ‘reduce our carbon footprint’ and reduce utility bills.

The rental properties use air source heat pumps instead of gas boilers, are each fitted with broadband as standard and are pet friendly.

On the Assembly Park website two three-bedroom semi-detached properties are currently advertised for rent priced at £1,185 per calendar month.

Park Wrekin Gymnastics Club will be retained as part of the proposal for use as community facilities and sits within the development site.

Charlton School closed in 2016 with a replacement built on Apley Avenue.

The principle for planning for 200 homes was agreed in 2020, but only ready to be discussed by Telford & Wrekin Council’s planning committee last month.