Supported living flats in Telford approved to go on site of houses demolished in 2014

Telford & Wrekin Council has given the green light to plans for 13 one-bedroom supported living flats to be built in Wrockwardine Wood.

The former Queens Head site, at the junction of Moss Road and Rookery Road, was previously turned two terraced houses which fell into disrepair and were demolished in August 2014.

A planning and affordable housing statement submitted by the developer said: “Build Fifty5’s transitional living schemes are designed with a wide range of occupants in mind, particularly vulnerable persons, young people leaving care and those with mental and physical disabilities.

“Therefore, all of their schemes are built to the technical building standards relevant to accessible and adaptable housing. Build Fifty5 also work in close liaison with the housing commissioning team at Telford and Wrekin Council, to ensure an appropriate mix is delivered across their existing and future sites.”

The flats will be split between three separate two-storey ‘blocks’ each containing four homes.

Each property will have one bedroom, a living room, kitchen area and a shower room for the occupants and are considered to be on an ‘appropriate size’ for one person.

A Telford & Wrekin Council planning officer approved the plans and stated that the proposed buildings are ‘considered to be acceptable’.

They said: “As the proposed dwellings would cater for a wider range of people than open-market housing, the principle of development is considered to be acceptable.

“The applicants have demonstrated that the site is capable of accommodating the buildings on the site without appearing as a cramped or contrived form of development.

“The proposed number of units and the size of the individual buildings are considered to be acceptable and do not represent an over-development of the site.

“The layout of the scheme has been well designed in order to have a limited impact upon the adjacent highway, given the distance separations present.”

The council’s planning officer added that the planned buildings are ‘respectful’ of the surrounding area.

The plans also include ‘large areas’ of open space which can be used for amenity purposes.

The development will result in the removal of three trees, with two of them either dead or not expected to last 10 years. The other tree is ‘not considered to have significantly positive impact upon the amenity of the area’.

One letter of objection was received by the council, from a Wrockwardine Wood resident, who raised concerns about the access from Moss Road and asked for traffic calming measures to be introduced.

The council’s highways, ecology and drainage teams all supported the application subject to conditions.

As part of the conditions the applicant must install ‘tactile crossing’ at the junction of the proposed site and at the Moss Road and Rookery Road junction.

Resurfacing works will also take place along the footpaths along Moss Road and Gower Street leading to the bus stops in the vicinity of the site.