Planning appeal launched after rural homes plan faced 27 objections

Outline plans for three houses to be built off Birchmoor Lane near Edgmond, west of Newport, received 27 letters of objection from village residents during the consultation and were rejected by Telford & Wrekin Council in December.

Edgmond Parish Council also objected to the plans, arguing that it was "not an infill plot".

Protect Heritage Edgmond had similar objections to the housing plans stating that the site was in "open countryside" and not within the settlement of Edgmond.

“The applicant clearly states that the housing is ‘market housing’ and not one of the other types which could possibly be considered to meet the criteria of affordable housing,” said Protect Heritage Edgmond in their objection.

“The applicant fails to provide detail regarding scale, mass, density, finishes et cetera, all of which are required to enable analysis.

“The applicant is deliberately aversive regarding number of bedrooms. Presumably because the intent is for each dwelling to have in excess of four bedroom and be substantial properties.”

Despite not specifying the size of the three houses proposed in the outline application, developers said that they would be "in keeping with the prevailing character" along Birchmoor Lane and the proposals are for "larger new homes".

“The discrete, infill nature of the site will ensure that any potential impact upon the wider landscape is extremely limited,” the developer said in their application statement.

“The site is vacant agricultural land with a poor quality hedgerow fronting Birchmoor Lane and predominantly soft landscaping to the other boundaries.”

The applicant said that the properties would have their "own independent" access onto Birchmoor Lane which would involved the removal of some hedges.

Telford & Wrekin Council refused the outline planning application in December, stating that the planned houses were not within an established settlement.

The council’s decision notice said: “The local planning authority considers that the residential development on this site is unacceptable in principle as it does not fall within any of the designated named settlements for rural housing and does not meet the requirements of any of the rural exception schemes.”

The developer has appealed the council’s decision and a planning inspectorate will now consider the outline planning application for three dwellings and associated works.

The applicant argued that the grounds for refusal by the council "cannot be justified".

“It is incorrect to state that the site does not fall within any of the designated named settlements for rural housing,” said the applicant’s representative.

“It is the appellants’ strong contention that the site demonstrably falls within the village of Edgmond. It is a discrete infill plot within a small group of dwellings on the western edge of the village.

“The site is also sustainably located within easy walking distance of the services and facilities within Edgmond.”

The applicant added that the Telford and Wrekin Local Plan 2011-2031 "does not define settlement or development boundaries".

They argued that the homes would help to meet the rural housing requirement and would "deliver isolated homes in the countryside".

“The site is demonstrably not within the open countryside, infilling between existing properties and not extending ribbon development, or merging with other built-up areas,” added the applicant.

“The proposals will meet the economic objective, providing new homes in the right place with Edgmond identified as a designated location to meet housing need, and the scheme will bring economic benefits through supporting services and facilities, as well as the construction of the new properties themselves.

“The appellants therefore respectfully contend that the appeal should be upheld and planning permission granted.”