Residents oppose plan for 52 homes on scrap yard site in Telford
Residents are calling for a plan to build 52 ‘affordable rented’ homes on a car dismantling site in Telford to be scrapped.
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Cannock-based Morro Partnership has lodged a planning application with Telford & Wrekin Council to redevelop the 1.56 hectare site of Metal & Waste Recycling, at The Old Smithy, off Lightmoor Road in Little Dawley.
Lightmoor resident Catherine Harris has lodged her opposition to the scheme on the council’s planning portal.
Mrs Harris says placing 52 houses on a corner of a very busy road with no pavements is “foolish”.
“The road cannot cope with the current traffic and will certainly cause issue with the cars from an additional 52 houses.
“There are no pavements and currently children from Church Leasowe have to walk in the road and then through the muddy woods to get to school. The cars do not adhere to the 30mph and there are no street lights to help see these children.”
She claims it is an “accident waiting to happen.”
Doseley resident David Banks says the area cannot support the amount of houses being built.
“Schools are oversubscribed, the A&E is due to close we cannot support more houses without significant investment in other areas.”
Planning agents Urbanissta, based in Birmingham, have told the council that ‘only’ 10 per cent of 437 residents responded to a community engagement questionnaire sent out last year.
But of those who responded, 84.44 per cent did not think the plans would “benefit the area”.
The company said that they did have “some people” who “considered the development to be positive, helping to improve the community and using a brownfield site in a positive way by building homes for local people".
The agents added: “The delivery of 52 homes for social rent, at a time of pressing need for new homes, will help to increase the choice and type of homes for people within [Telford and Wrekin].
“100 per cent of the new homes are affordable, providing much needed social rented homes, for those in housing need.”
Network Rail has told the council that it must be be consulted on the future of the site, currently used as a salvage yard.
“An interface with Network Rail is REQUIRED for this proposal,” a submission on the planning portal says.
“The outside party is advised that Network Rail will need to agree and supervise this proposal and that no works are to take place until agreed with Network Rail.”
Network Rail has submitted a long list of requirements that the developers will need to abide by to make it acceptable.
