Town councillors object to housing plans

The decision of Market Drayton Town Council’s planning committee to oppose the Healey Estate’s 97-home scheme at Longford Turning comes just days after Shropshire Council granted the land ‘asset of community value’ designation.

Members of the town council said the proposals would have a “devastating” impact on wildlife and see the loss of an established woodland and open field used daily by hundreds of people.

Councillor David Minnery highlighted the fact the site had been considered as part of Shropshire Council’s current local plan review and had not been deemed suitable for development, and that part of the site was landscaped for public access as a condition of a previous application relating to Tern Valley Business Park.

Councillor Minnery said: “The site contains a very valuable wildlife corridor adjacent to the Tern Valley which itself is home to some important species.

“The Tern Valley corridor runs from Tunstall in the northeast to Tern Hill in the southwest, through Walkmill and Fordhall, and this application would divide and significantly impact on this by breaking the only remaining route allowing wildlife to pass the town. It is the ‘animal bypass’ for Market Drayton.”

Councillor Minnery said the woodland covering part of the site was planted around 20 years ago, with further areas allowed to naturally regenerate, and its loss would have a “huge impact” not only on wildlife but also its role as a “carbon sink”.

The proposals are for apartment blocks containing a total of 26 one and two-bedroom flats, and 71 two, three and four-bedroom houses in what the landowner says will foster “an integrated community of multiple generations”.

Also included in the scheme is the creation of a three-acre country park providing access to the River Tern, as well as a play area and walking and cycling routes.

Councillor Minnery said two of the proposed homes along with the car park were on a flood plain and outside the town’s development boundary.

He further argued that it was not a sustainable site for affordable housing due to its distance from the town centre and medical practice.

On the country park aspect of the scheme, Councillor Minnery said: “The intensive use for public access planned for this area would be devastating for the wildlife within and it would be out of reach of many less mobile people who currently use the existing open space above.”

Members voted unanimously to object to the proposals. Mayor Roy Aldcroft left the meeting for the duration of the debate as he also sits on Shropshire Council’s northern planning committee.

The new asset of community value designation does not prevent the landowner from pursuing the development but it may be deemed a material consideration in Shropshire Council’s determination of the planning application.

The plans have attracted more than 100 objections from members of the public and are being fought off by a campaign group.