Issue - meetings

This was an application for the erection of 5no. industrial units (up to 90,951m² of commercial floorspace) (Use Classes B2/B8 and E(g)(iii)) with ancillary office space (Use Class E(g)(i)) with associated parking, ev parking, gatehouses, cycle shelters, attenuation pond, landscaping and all associated engineering works and highway works, including site clearance and enabling works on land off, Hadley Castle Works, Hadley, Telford, Shropshire.

The application was before Committee at the request of Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council and the Ward Councillor.

A site visit took place on the afternoon prior to the Planning Committee.

Councillor G Offland, Ward Councillor, supported development and employment but not at the cost of the health and wellbeing of local residents.  She raised concerns regarding the layout of the bays facing residential properties, highway congestion on the A442 and along Hadley Park Road, noise, pollution, hours of operation, conservation and heritage.  She asked that the application be deferred until the further consultation currently ongoing had been concluded and the concerns of residents were considered further.

Councillor P Millward, Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council, confirmed that the Parish Council did not oppose investment, development and jobs, but raised concerns in relation to the impact on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of local resident from noise, pollution, dust and a 24-7 operation of the facilities which would destroy a peaceful way of life. Material considerations were overlooking, loss of privacy, scale, dominance, highway safety, noise, dust, fumes and wildlife conservation.  He questioned the evidence of workforce availability for the creation of 1850 jobs.  It was requested that this application be deferred for further consultation.

Mr D Sellwood, member of the public, spoke against the application and raised concerns in relation to how the assessment in relation to 24-7 noise and disturbance had been produced and validated.  As the end user was not currently known, he raised further concerns as to how mitigation would be achieved and in relation to policy BE1 no significant adverse impact could yet be demonstrated and there was yet to be an end user.  Further concerns were raised in relation to the mass and height of the buildings, visual impact on residents and the street scene and tree screening was inadequate. He questioned the scale and orientation of Unit 1.  It was asked that the applicant change the design to make it more marketable and make this a non 24-7 hour development.

Mr S Clerk, Applicant, spoke in favour of the application which had been extensively discussed with the planning team, stakeholders and consultees who had found the proposal acceptable.  The site had been identified as a strategic employment area on the adopted Telford and Wrekin Local Plan and was previously developed land and had a long history of employment.  The development would host modern facilities to meet the needs of the occupiers and advanced discussions were taking place with interested parties.  There would be approximately 2000 jobs created across the site and would bring an economic boost to the area.  There would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15