Agenda item

This was a full application for the erection of 88no. dwellings with access, parking, amenity drainage and landscaping on land between Colliers Way & Park Lane, Old Park, Telford, Shropshire.  Councillor M Boylan had requested that the application be referred to Planning Committee and the application was subject to a Section 106 Agreement to secure financial contributions and on-site affordable housing.

Councillor M Boylan, Ward Councillor, spoke against the application on behalf of local residents and raised concerns regarding the consultation process, the change of plans, number of dwellings, not in keeping with the local area, the visual impact, highway safety and that this was not the right development for the right area.

Mr M Adams, the Applicant’s Agent, spoke in favour of the application for 88 affordable houses on land which had been allocated for housing in the adopted Local Plan together with amenity space, parking and suitable separation distance between the buildings.  The housing would be of good quality and contemporary appearance and design.  There would be no increased traffic along Park Lane and retention of trees and landscaping would enhance the ecology to protect the privacy of the neighbouring properties.  Financial contributions through a S106 Agreement were sought for a highways traffic management scheme and for secondary education and play and recreation and Members were asked to approve these much needed affordable family homes.

The Planning Officer advised that the site benefitted from an extant planning permission for 82 dwellings and sought to delivery 88 affordable units and was supported by a suite of technical documents including Coal Mining Risk Assesment, Ground Investigations, drainage, ecology and tree reports which addressed all issues.  The application has been submitted with drainage, highways, ecology and landscaping details and a construction environmental management plan avoiding the need for any pre-commencement conditions.  The scheme was fully NDSS and parking standard compliant and provided a scheme of good design and quality.

During the debate some Members raised concerns regarding consultation and asked what objections had been received, if the scheme had been checked by Secure by Design criteria to prevent anti-social behaviour and asked if the road would connect to Park Lane to form a through route leading to increased traffic.   Other Members felt that the principle for development had already been established.

The Planning Officer confirmed that site notices had gone up on site and notices had gone in the press and that Wrekin Housing Group had also undertaken their onw community engagement prior to submission of the application together with the plans being put before the residents association.    Some of the reasons for objection were design, density, lack of garages, size, separation, single tenure for affordable housing, retention of the tree belt, impact on wildlife, childrens play equipment and highway safety.

Upon being put to the vote it was, unanimously:-

RESOLVED - that in respect of planning application TWC/2020/0987 that delegated authority be granted to the Development Management Service Delivery Manager to grant full planning permission subject to the following:

a)    the applicant/landowners entering into a Section 106 legal agreement with the Local Planning Authority (subject to indexation from the date of committee with terms to be agreed by the Development Management Service Delivery Manager) relating to:

i)     Education contribution of:

                      - Primary £240,232 (towards education facilities within two 

                        Miles of the development), and

                       - Secondary £109,540 (expansion of Telford Langley

                         School);

                ii) Highways contributions of:

                     - £74,565.97 towards the Telford Transport Growth Strategy,

                       and

                     - £10,000.00 towards a traffic management scheme along

                       the section of Colliers Way that fronts the proposed

                       development;

                iii)   Children’s Play/Recreation contribution of £52,800.00

                       towards

                       existing facilities within 1km of development;

                iv)  Affordable Housing (Affordable Rent) to be provided at

                      25%; and

b)      the conditions contained within the report (with authority to finalise conditions and reasons for approval to be delegated to Development Management Service Delivery Manager).