Council rejects plan for 15 homes on rural land in Telford
Outline plans have been refused for 15 houses on a piece of rural land at the former junction of two canals.
Plans were submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council for the houses to be built east of Wappenshall Junction, near Apley in Telford.
The plans, on land adjacent to The Bridge House, included seven five-bedroom houses, two four or five-bedroom and six three-bedroom properties.
The site is located close to the former junction of Shropshire Union Canal and the Shrewsbury Canal and was used as a loading point for goods – which was closed in 1944.
Wappenshall Wharf, a listed development which includes a collection of canal buildings and the canal bridge, sits within close proximity of the proposed development.
In their design, access and heritage statement, developer Integra Homes said that the vacant land had not been farmed ‘for many years’ and was being used as ‘extended amenity space’ for The Bridge House.
As part of the plans six of the 15 homes were earmarked as being affordable houses.
“The proposals will seek to provide accessible, environmentally sustainable housing through high quality design,” said the developer.
“Sensitive environmental and heritage issues have been carefully considered and addressed.
“The site is accessible by bus and it is likely that services will be improved following the conversion of the canal buildings into a canal museum and heritage centre and the change of use of the Bridge House to a restaurant.
“There is no impact on the listed buildings at Wappenshall Wharf and the recent approval for the demolition and replacement dwelling at Wharf House is much closer to the listed structures than the proposed site.
“It is proposed that the design quality of the proposed development will be commensurate with this approved scheme albeit the scale of the individual houses will be significantly smaller.”
The plans received letters of objection from four different residents of Wappenshall Road with some raising concerns about the width of Wappenshall Lane to accommodate the extra cars and lorries to build the development.
Other concerns raised included fears of pruning and reduction of trees protected by a preservation order. The lack of transport infrastructure was also highlighted along with fears that the development could result in the flooding of surrounding properties.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s ecology and drainage departments both objected to the plans and requested more information from the applicant.
In rejecting the outlined planning application, planners said that planning development was ‘unacceptable in principle’ and ‘does not fall within any of the designated named settlements for rural housing’.
It was also highlighted that insufficient information had been submitted to demonstrate that the site could be ‘adequately drained’ or would not have a ‘detrimental impact’ on the local sewerage infrastructure.
The council also said that insufficient information had been submitted over concerns about the development having detrimental impact on heritage assets in the locality; the conservation of habitat and species; destruction of the former canal alignment; and detrimental change to the quality of the adjoining Weald Moors Strategic Landscape.
