Telford developer to spend £22,000 on two bus shelters
A developer will spend £22,000 to upgrade two bus shelters in Telford after their supported living accommodation proposals were approved.
Telford & Wrekin Councillors have approved plans for a two-storey apartment block containing 14 bedrooms to be built in Castle Street, Hadley.
A representative of applicant Hexagon Partnership Limited spoke at the council’s planning committee meeting last week which approved the plans.
He said that the apartments would be for local residents of Telford with mental health needs.
The representative added that the scheme had been developed with the council’s mental health commissioning team ‘to meet and help the numbers required’.
“It’s a large site and previously in 2020 ten apartments were approved plus parking,” said the representative.
“Adjacent to the site are three-storey apartments which have been recently approved and built. Our development is two storeys and the houses around the site are generally two or three storeys.
“We’ve developed a sensitive scheme for the site. There are good levels of garden and amenity area which surround the site.
“Approximately 45% of the site is communal garden area for the residents. Pitched roofs are the general housing in the area, our scheme reflects that with a modern twist to provide a high quality design.”
The applicant said that the council’s parking standards don’t cover specialist housing for people with mental health needs.
He said that the council’s mental health commissioning team have similar schemes with 14 apartments where only one residents is able to drive.
The representative added that there would be seven parking spaces on site for staff, who would help the residents with matters such as shopping and public transport use to help keep their independence while living in the apartments.
“We feel and so does (the council’s) highways team that the parking provision is sufficient,” he concluded.
Councillors voted to approve the plan which will see the existing Montford bungalow demolished and replaced by 14 one-bedroom apartments, car parking and communal areas.
As part of the agreed plans £22,000 will be paid by the developer to ‘upgrade’ two nearby bus shelters.
The planning officer said that the replacement apartments are ‘significantly larger in scale’ than the existing bungalow and residents would have direct pedestrian access onto Castle Street.
He added that there would be two full-time and two part-time members of staff as part of the development.
“It’s not considered that there would be undue impacts on the amenity of neighbouring residential properties and there have been no technical objection from statutes,” concluded the planning officer.
Council Thomas Janke supported the plans despite being a ‘bit disappointed’ by the parking provision. The councillor added that he was ‘encouraged’ by the financial contribution towards two bus shelters in the area.
Also supporting the project was councillor Janice Jones who said that there was a ‘big need’ for the type of accommodation proposed.
