Agenda and minutes

In respect of planning application TWC/2025/0534, Councillor J Thompson advised that he was a member of Wrockwardine Wood and Trench Parish Council but had not been involved the Planning Committee or in any discussions on this application.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 September 2025.

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 10 September 2025 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

None.

None.

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.

This was an application for the change of use of dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to residential home for up to 2no children (Use Class C2) at 22 Bridle Walk, Donnington, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 7SJ

This application was before Planning Committee due to the number of objections received during the consultation period.

Councillor O Vickers, Parish Councillor, spoke against the application on behalf of local residents.  Although it was understood that it was essential for good and decent homes he raised concerns regarding the suitability of the property.   He considered that the parking was ambitious and imprecise and must be installed before any residents were in situ and given the 24hr intended use and in particular at staff change overs and during visits from social workers, inspectors and family members who would access the site regularly.   The road was not a wide road and had very limited space with a number of parked cars and it was felt that the residents parking issues would be exacerbated. 

Mr S Pierce, member of public, spoke against the application and raised concerns regarding the recent increase in C2 care home conversions, the suitability of the provider, “pop-up” homes lacking the proper wrap around support or community integration and once granted councils could not easily intervene or close them down when serious problems emerged.  The proposal was for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties including absconding and aggression and he felt placing such a cohort in a 79 home cul-de-sac raised safeguarding concerns.  Further concerns raised were recent crimes on the estate, parking provision, disruption, congestion, the hardstanding would commercialise the frontage of the property and forever change the character of the street scene, the 24 hour operation of a business in a semi-detached property.  He asked Members to consider how the provider would be held accountable, what was the physical accessible route for residents to raise complaints and would the Committee be the point of contact for residents once the home was opened.

The Applicant/Applicant’s Agent were not in attendance at the meeting for their public speaking slot.

The Planning Officer informed Members that the application was situated in the urban area of Telford and considered to be in a highly sustainable location.  During the application process, amended documents were received outlining the proposed provision of care.  Initially, the proposal was to accommodate four children with this being amended to a maximum of two children, with two staff members and a manager present on site at any one time.  Staggered staff changeover times were proposed, with two shift patterns and four changeover periods per day, resulting in minimal traffic impact. Policy HO7 supported development designed to meet residents’ needs in sustainable locations.  The council’s Commissioning Team confirmed a need for this type of accommodation and raised no objection to the amended scheme.  Officers considered the proposal was compliant with policy HO7. The existing driveway could accommodate two cars, and amended plans proposed extending to four spaces, similar to nearby properties.  The Highways Officer confirmed  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC55

This application was for the change of use of land from agriculture land to private garden land at land adjacent Hillside, Middle Lane, Cold Hatton Heath, Telford, Shropshire.

The application was before Planning Committee at the request of Councillor Stephen Bentley, Ward Councillor.

The Planning Officer informed Members that some additional photographs had been received since publication of the report and that these would be shown in the presentation.

Councillor S Bentley spoke against the application and raised concerns regarding the natural boundaries, the use of agricultural land and Hillside being a smallholding, the gateway into a larger open field, change of use would allow potential development and development rights needed to be considered.  A Certificate of Lawfulness had been refused as it was considered to be in open countryside and there had been an installation of a large play area which had been subject to removal by enforcement, this application had come forward within three months and he failed to see what had changed.  He felt that agricultural land needed to be protected and a change of use to garden land took away from this and that Hillside had increased its footprint three-fold.  The application was not supported by Policy SP3 and it was not supported by the NPPF and he asked that the Committee refuse the application.

Ms T Luckman, member of public, spoke against the application and asked Members to refuse the change of use from agricultural land.  She raised concerns that this would wrap the eastern and rear boundary of her property along the full length.  It conflicted with the Telford and Wrekin Local Plan, the Waters Upton Neighbourhood Plan and the NPPF, it fell within the Green Network Framework which protected green spaces, rural encroachment into agricultural land was considered harmful without a justified need.  The land remained part of the agricultural land within Cold Hatton and continued to be farmed at the rear and was highly visible from Middle Lane and contributed to its undeveloped character a change of use would introduce suburban characteristics permanently altering the street scene. It was contrary to Policy SP3 and BE1 and once the land became residential curtilage it would be easier to justify future development proposals.

The Applicant spoke in favour of the application explaining that they had purchased Hillside in 2022 as a complete renovation project and that the property had been a dilapidated bungalow with no kerb appeal.  The land in question had been maintained as a mown lawn and was intended for use as a garden and a play space for their children.  It was confirmed that the hedgerows and gates would remain in place and regular maintenance would take place and the existing laurel hedge provided privacy at one metre thick.  This parcel of land had not been used for agricultural purposes for a significant period and had not been physically separated from the current garden land.  There had been no objection to the change of use from the Parish Council and that  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC56