Council homes plan for Ellesmere recommended for approval

The scheme will be decided by the authority’s northern planning committee next week and has been recommended for approval by planning officers.

The proposals, put forward by Cornovii Developments Ltd, are for 23 houses and bungalows to be built on a site at Ellesmere Wharf that was previously earmarked for 60 flats.

Cornovii, which was formed in 2019 with a £14 million loan from the council, has already had plans for 33 houses on a site in Shrewsbury approved and another application for 35 homes in Ifton Heath, St Martin’s, is awaiting a decision.

The company says the Ellesmere development, which will be accessed off Bridgewater Street, has been designed with a range of property types to address local need.

Ellesmere Town Council and Ellesmere Rural Parish Council both supported the application and there were no representations from members of the public.

Eight of the properties will be affordable homes – six as affordable rent and two to be marketed as shared ownership.

Contribution

The development includes an area of public open space which is slightly smaller than planning policy requires, and the developer will make a financial contribution towards improving nearby public spaces to compensate.

A report to the planning committee by case officer Philip Mullineux says the council’s conservation team raised concerns about the impact of the proposed development on the town’s conservation area, but these are outweighed by the benefits of the scheme.

The report says: “It is considered that development as proposed offers an acceptable range of dwellings and public open space along with a financial contribution towards improvements to existing open space/recreational facilities that is considered acceptable with consideration to the location and existing nearby open space provision.

“Issues in relation to flooding drainage with the attachment of conditions to any approval notice issued are considered satisfactory, as are matters in relation to ecology and residential amenity and land contamination.

“Residential design and scale along with landscape and visual impact is considered to be adequately addressed, with mitigation as proposed and this matter also subject to condition in order to ensure satisfactory consideration to landscape mitigation and integration into the surrounding environment.

“Historic matters have also been considered as part of the application processing and on balance with consideration to the material considerations as discussed in this report overall there are no concerns raised of significance on this latter issue.

“Public highway access and impacts also considered acceptable.”

The application will be decided by the northern planning committee at a meeting on Tuesday, February 9, starting at 2pm.