Agenda and draft minutes

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To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 18 March 2026.

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 18 March 2026 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

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To approve the Terms of Reference for the 2026/2027 municipal year.

The Legal Advisor presented the Terms of Reference 2026/27 report  which set out that the council’s Constitution required, that at its Annual General Meeting of Full Council, it agreed that each of its Committees reviews its Terms of Reference to enable the council to efficiently conduct its business.

At the Annual Meeting of the Council on 21 May 2026, Full Council delegated authority for each Committee to review its Terms of Reference.

There were no suggested changes to the Terms of Reference which remained consistent with the previously municipal year.

Upon being put to the vote it way, unanimously:

RESOLVED – that the Terms of Reference for 2026/27 as set out in Appendix A to the report be agreed.

To receive the Scheme of Delegation July 2026.

The Head of Development Management presented the Planning – National Scheme of Delegation report which sought approval for the council’s Planning Scheme of Delegation as set out at Appendix A of the report. 

Members were also asked to note the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning functions in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act as amended by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026 and the statutory guidance published on 1 June 2026. 

The council’s existing local Scheme of Delegation had been amended solely to a constitutional mechanism to give effect to the National scheme which included the removal of previous local call-in arrangements and referral triggers where these were in conflict with the national framework.

It was necessary to ensure that the council’s decision-making arrangements were fully compliant with mandatory national requirements thereby enabling planning functions to be lawfully discharged by Planning Committee or by officers in accordance with the National Scheme of Delegation.  The Scheme must be implemented by 31 October 2026.

Under the National Scheme of Delegation, planning applications and related decisions would be divided into prescribed categories:

· Applications falling within Schedule 1 of the Regulations must be determined by the Chief Planning Officer or authorised officers and may not be referred to Planning Committee.

· Applications falling within Schedule 2 of the Regulations are delegated to officers by default and may only be referred to Planning Committee in limited circumstances, in accordance with the statutory referral process.

The new arrangements would not be informal and would require transparency of decision making and it would be necessary to maintain records through a gateway process recording the outcome and decision reached.  It would still be a requirement to consult on applications coming forward and consider what weight to give to the information before them.  Work would also continue to ensure that compliance to planning consent was adhered to.

A training session would be delivered to Members as well as Parish and Town Councils in order for them to effectively engage with the new scheme.

The Scheme of Delegation and Constitution would be part of the framework and would be lawful, transparent and robust.

During the debate, some Members felt that although they did not agree with the new Scheme, that it would be law by 31 October 2026 and if the council did not take on the Scheme they would not be legally compliant.  Other Members felt that the Scheme ripped out the heart of planning with 90% of decisions taking place behind closed doors with no checks and balances and there were flaws within the Scheme.   It was asked if a regular report could be brought before Committee to update Members on applications that had been approved.  It was welcomed by some Members that some applications should sit with officers and not be considered through the call in procedures due to their technical nature.  Officers were asked to confirm that the public were  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC6

Please note that the order in which applications are heard may be changed at the meeting.  If Members have queries about any of the applications, they are requested to raise them with the relevant Planning Officer prior to the Committee meeting.

Members had received a schedule of planning applications to be determined by the Committee and fully considered each report and the supplementary information tabled at the meeting regarding planning applications TWC/2025/0480 and TWC/2025/0772.

This application was for the erection of 40no. affordable dwellings with associated parking and amenity space on the site of Former The Wrekin Endeavour Centre, North Road, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire.

The application was before Planning Committee having being deferred at the meeting held on the 18 March 2026 following a request from Members for amendments to be made to the scheme in relation to density, overlooking onto the school, parking, the mix of housing and accessibility.

An update report was tabled at the meeting and set out details in relation to the amendments to the rear elevations of the proposed Rowan and Birch House and Site Plan.

The Planning Officer updated Members on changes that had been made to the application following its deferment in March 2026.  Parking arrangements now exceeded parking for the residents and reduced the visitor parking ‘deficit’ to four.  Some of the windows and doors had been amended on Birch and rowan House apartment blocks.   The Applicant had responded to the request to amend the scheme by advising that a reduction in the number of overall dwellings would make the scheme unviable.  The principle concerns raised by Members remained and had not been satisfactorily resolved being the density and overdevelopment, the orientation of the buildings and safeguarding issues in relation to the neighbouring school and the officers’ recommendation was that the application be refused.

Councillor P Davis, Ward Member, commented that he genuinely recognised the need for affordable housing and regeneration, but any decision needed to be appropriate and acceptable.  He raised concerns regarding overdevelopment, highway safety and parking.  Although the applicant had gone some way to amend the plans, but he considered that privacy was still an issue and he asked that the application be refused.

C Taylor, Applicant’s Agent, spoke in favour of the application which would be 40 well insulated, warm, low carbon homes for people in need set on a brownfield, derelict site.  He considered it to be a really good scheme and had taken on board representations and significant changes made to the development in relation to density.  The orientation in relation to the school was not a reason to refuse planning permission as there were a lot of examples where houses overlook playing fields.   Some rooms had been reorientated and there were only 2 apartments that continued to overlook.

The Planning Officers clarified the details within the update report and the changes to the rear elevations of the two blocks of flats.  This remained unsatisfactory and did not address the overlooking of the school.  In relation to the density, 49 dwellings per hectare was the net density of the developable area and did not take into account the willow shrub and the suds feature and this was considered overdevelopment.

During the debate, some Members were not against the development of a brownfield site or affordable housing, but that the applicant had not addressed the issues of concern that Members had previously raised in relation to overlooking the school site, change  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC8

 The application was for the erection of 166no. dwellings (Class C3), means of vehicular access off the A518, open space, landscaping, play area, footpaths, drainage and all other ancillary and enabling works on land south of, The Dale/The Crescent, Church Aston, Newport, Shropshire.   An update report was tabled which set out details in relation to a typographical error in relation to the Parish Council, additional comments from Councillor Eade regarding a formal pedestrian connection across the A518, additional objections received and an additional representation from Severn Trent Water.

A site visit had taken place on the afternoon prior to the Committee meeting.

Councillor A Eade, Ward Member, together with the Church Aston Parish Council, had requested that the application be determined by the Planning Committee.

Councillor A Eade, Ward Member, spoke against the application and raised concerns regarding site not being within the urban boundary of the Local Plan, the number of objections to the application, the impact on Church Aston and the need to protect its identity.   If Members were minded to approve the application, it was asked that consideration be given to making the route as safe as possible for pedestrians and detailed the crossing at the Clock Tower in Donnington as a precedent along the A518 and whether S106 monies could be used to provide this which would also enhance health and wellbeing, social mixing, and cohesion.

G Johnson, Applicant’s Agent, spoke in favour of the applications which had been included on the emerging Local Plan under Policy HO3.  The Planning Inspector had not raised any issues in regard to the application and this had given significant weight, together with the affordable, social, shared and private housing within the development.  It met national space standards and all SPD requirements in relation to M42 and M43 standards with a net density of 28.4 per hectare.  There were no objections from any statutory consultees, Highways Officers or the Ecology Officer who had no objection to the 10% biodiversity net gain.  A central open space and play area would be retained as well as cycleways and paths.  The s106 agreement would fund the existing NEEP, the Public Right of Way, health and infrastructure.  

The Planning Officer informed Members that the site sat outside of the current settlement within the current adopted Local Plan but that the site had been allocated within the emerging Local Plan and a thorough examination by the Planning Inspector was at a very advanced stage and no changes had been requested.  The principle of development was acceptable.  In accordance with both the adopted and emerging Local Plan 35% affordable housing in a mix of two to five bedroom properties and seven bungalows had been put forward.  Most of the protected trees, located in the central area of public open space, would remain with a small areas of trees to the north west being removed to facilitate the roundabout.  The design, type and materials had been set out in a design code statement to reflect the character  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC9

This was an application for the subdivision of existing unit to 2no. retail units (Use Class E) and 1no. hot food takeaway (Use Class Sui Generis) following the erection of a single storey side extension, first floor extension and associated external alterations at 23 Bridge Road, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire, TF1 1ED.

This application was before Committee at the request of Wellington Town Council. 

Councillor G Cook, representing the Town Council, explained that he wasn’t opposed to new business, but that there had previously been issues with takeaways.  He raised concerns regarding the drainage, the air conditioning and the air pollution, lack of proper insulation, parking, deliveries and the lack of space within the car park, bin storage and litter and the impact on the neighbouring public house. 

Councillor P Davis, Ward Member, spoke against the application and raised concerns regarding the unacceptable harm to the character of the area as an historic market town, impact on the highway network, traffic movement, deliveries and parking.  Further concerns were raised regarding the extraction systems and cooking odours and the company previously being prosecuted via enforcement action.  If Members were minded to approve the application, it was requested that odour be controlled through a management plan, high quality materials be used, compliance with a traffic management plan and agreement of delivery times and waste collection as well as hours of operation. 

A Bruce, Applicant’s Agent, spoke in favour of the application and set out that the Applicant was in agreement with all conditions set out in the report, particularly in relation to highways, air quality, odour control and bin collections.  He explained that the current system in operation was not cost effective and the applicant considered that the new site offered a good opportunity to ensure a more robust system be installed on the first floor which would irradicate noise and odour as they did not wish to be prosecuted again.  It was agreed that an appropriately worded condition be set out by the Environmental Team in order that there were no issues going forward.  In relation to deliveries, the car park was considered sufficient and it would be an improvement in respect of highways issues.  He asked that the application be approved.

The Planning Officer informed Members that the site was located within the built-up area but whilst it was situated within the Market Town of Wellington it sat outside of the designated primary shopping area. Consideration had been given to Policies EC6 of the Telford and Wrekin Local Plan and Policy EC7 of the emerging Local Plan and supported the change of use to retail and it was therefore accepted in principle.  The over-proliferation of similar uses such as takeaways within an area was considered and as the unit would be positioned between a proposed E Class Use unit and an estate agent it was considered that this complied with policy.  Officers were satisfied that the site was large enough to accommodate the proposed use and would not lead to an  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC10