Housing plan near country house gets green light despite resident's 17-page objection

Council planners gave the green light for the scheme off Leigh Road, Minsterley, which will see six homes and four business units developed on a former agricultural site near the Grade II listed Minsterley Hall.

After approval of the application by Shingler Homes Ltd, a number of modern farm sheds will be knocked down to make way for the mixed use development at Hall Farm, while older agricultural buildings on the site will be converted, developers say.

However a separate proposal for 14 houses set to be built on adjacent land to the south is yet to be decided, with a decision due after the consultation period expired earlier this month.

The scheme had received objections from local residents, with some raising concerns over traffic access onto Leigh Road, while others were concerned about the visual effect on the nearby Minsterley Hall.

One resident penned a 17-page objection on the impacts to the 16th century country house, which was formerly the Shropshire seat of the Marquess of Bath.

But Shropshire Council planners waved away those concerns, after the applicants introduced enhanced tree planting to shield the view of the development, and a proposed new build residential dwelling was removed by the developer to reduce the scheme’s visual impact.

“The site is currently dominated by 20th Century buildings, whose removal will better reveal the historic barns,” said a report by Shropshire Council’s planning department.

“Although the barns might normally be regarded as curtilage-listed given their proximity to and historic association with Minsterley Hall, it was established under [a] previous application that they would technically not meet the criteria since they were in separate ownership at the time of the Hall’s listing.”

“The revised proposals are generally sympathetic to the fabric, character and appearance of the non-designated heritage assets and will enhance their significance overall, particularly by removing the surrounding modern buildings.

“Meanwhile the revised Heritage Impact Assessment adequately demonstrates that there would be no demonstrable harm to the setting of the adjacent Grade II listed building. “