Plans submitted for holiday lodges near Ironbridge

Telford Four Ltd has submitted plans for 12 holiday lodges on land north of Stretton View in Buildwas Road.

The land is currently used for clay pigeon shooting, residential dwellings, commercial haulage, and a battery energy storage scheme.

Jon Nugent, from Brown Shore Management, who is working alongside the applicant, says the lodges would be for leisure purposes and will provide tourism accommodation.

"The lodge will operate with mobile infrastructure that can be erected and removed relative to the lodge accommodation," said Mr Nugent.

"This infrastructure is therefore mobile and does not constitute a building, the lodge accommodation is a 'use' of the land."

Mr Nugent added that the development would not have an unacceptable adverse impact on the visual amenity value of character of the local landscape by way of its scale, massing, or appearance.

"The site has been carefully selected and is afforded significant levels of natural screening, which coupled with its low profile will result in only limited views of the development within the site," said Mr Nugent.

A travel plan has been included as part of the application, which seeks to alleviate the impact of single-occupancy car travel on the local environment.

However, Amy Annett, from Telford & Wrekin Council's highways development control department, said she still has concerns over staff and visitor numbers and the amount of vehicles using the access and track.

"The Local Highway Authority is unable to properly assess the impact of the development with the information submitted and as such taking into account my previous comments raised I raise an objection on the grounds of insufficient information relating to the proposed use in terms of staff number, existing uses within the site and the vehicle movements generated by the proposal," she said.

Jennifer Morgan, meanwhile, said that Marnwood Estate owns the track, and Telford Four Ltd has no rights or utilities under or over the access.

"Telford Four Ltd have gained planning permission for clay pigeon shooting and BESS in recent months. I doubted then that the access was suitable for all of these activities along with the properties that do use the track.

"The 12 lodges that are now applied for would make the access very difficult indeed. I ask that when considering the application this is taken seriously as the affect on the existing properties would be a daily problem for the residents."

Anyone who wishes to comment on the application should do so by Thursday, August 8.