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Planning Committee - Wednesday 23 October 2024 6.00 pm

October 23, 2024 View on council website Watch video of meeting
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Summary

The Planning Committee refused an application for a battery energy storage system at Jiggers Bank, Coalbrookdale and deferred a decision on an outline planning application to build up to 100 houses on land north-east of Greenways Farm Shop in St Georges. They granted permission to convert Breffni House in Horsehay into a residential care home for four children and allowed a similar change of use for 34 Avon Close in Little Dawley to provide care for two children.

Land north/east of Greenways Farm Shop, Off Church Street, St Georges

The committee considered an outline planning application for the erection of up to 100 houses on land north/east of Greenways Farm Shop.

The applicant, Mr Hardeep Atwal, submitted an Illustrative Masterplan which sought to demonstrate that the site could be laid out to accommodate the 100 houses in a way that met the policies of the Telford and Wrekin Local Plan (2011-2031).

There had been 309 objections to the proposal, including objections from the three ward Councillors, Councillor Rachael Tyrell, Councillor Richard Overton and Councillor Paul Thomas and St Georges & Priorslee Parish Council.

The objections related to:

  • The site being white land – land that is not allocated for any specific use in the Local Plan.
  • The lack of local facilities such as schools, healthcare provision, play areas, and bus services.
  • The impact of additional traffic on local roads.
  • The impact on a remaining section of a medieval moat on the site.
  • Loss of green space.

Councillor Tyrell endorsed the large formal application of the parish council. She said This development does not form part of the local plan and is therefore contrary to identified local development needs. She raised concerns about drainage on the site, pointing out that This is also a site of important historical interest as a Roman moat. While the development field is not proposed directly on this site, it is immediately adjacent, and the proximity of the build is a concern.

Councillor Thomas said There are currently already very large, c. 2,000 housing developments, within the Priorslee area including Redrow, Miller Homes, Avant, Lioncourt, Vistry and Shropshire Homes and Although not all complete, these have already put significant strain on support services such as GP’s and dentists which are unable to cope with the significant increase in demand whilst local primary schools are already oversubscribed. He also said The application lacks any detail on the proposed type of dwelling, has no on-site play areas and, although it is not public land it is rich in history, diverse flora and fauna and enjoyed by the community

A resident, Mr Andrew Whittle, spoke at the meeting. He said:

No matter the number of objections, there only needs to be one objection that highlights fundamental flaws within the proposal. As is evident from comments, sentiment is high and there is a real risk that perception, if approved, is one of development at any cost, with little regard for the long-term physical and mental health impacted on residents.

The case officer, Ms Katie Dewey, addressed the concerns by pointing out that:

  • Although the land was not allocated for development in the Local Plan, Telford and Wrekin Council expected some housing to be delivered by windfall sites such as this one. She said The council not only expects windfall sites to come forward during the lifetime of the local plan, but relies on them to deliver the housing numbers set by government.
  • That financial contributions secured through a Section 106 agreement would help to mitigate some of the impact of the development.
  • The Highways Authority supported the application. She said: The highways officer has worked on this scheme in pre-app. They knew what to expect. One of the reasons that the past application was withdrawn was because there were concerns around the access and how it was being designed. That’s been resolved in the eyes of the local highways authority as part of the scheme.
  • The Local Lead Flood Authority supported the application in principle and considered that drainage issues could be overcome.

Councillor Peter Scott said:

Whilst we’ve got money coming in and it’s been identified for local health services, which I think is really good and I want to see more of it in the future, because I know what you said, Katie, about it. It’s not really a reason to refuse. But to me, not being in the local plan, being a speculative application, and with no identified need in that area, I feel we can reject this and I certainly won’t support it.

Councillor Steve Bentley said:

I think this application raises more questions than answers and it needs to be taken off the table. And if the developer is serious about bringing something forward here, he needs to look at the density, he needs to look at the highways, he needs to look at the drainage and he needs to look at the archaeological site as well and bring us some real grounded things.

Councillor Amric Jhawar was more supportive:

I read this report on this application a couple of times and I’ve seen that it’s a private land and as a private land owner you can fence it anyway without considering any local objections or anything. Most of the objections or comments are mainly for the resolved matters. According to this report, the highways are supported, the drainage is supported subject to conditions, a lot of ecology support conditions, affordable housing is supported, environment is supported, education is supported with all the financial education contributions. And I can’t actually find any material reason to say no.

The committee voted against the officer's recommendation to grant planning permission. They then voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting in order to obtain legal advice on how to proceed.

The committee reconvened after receiving legal advice. Councillor Scott then proposed that the application be deferred to allow officers to discuss concerns about density with the applicant. The committee voted unanimously in favour of deferring the application.

Land off Buildwas Bank (North of Silvertrees, Jiggers Bank), Coalbrookdale

The committee considered an application for the erection of a battery energy storage system on land off Buildwas Bank.

The applicant, Mr Nick Cussen, had agreed to provide a financial contribution of £75,000 for bus stop improvements.

The application had been called in by Councillor Carolyn Healy, who said she was concerned about safety and environmental impact, limited access, fire risk and toxic fumes from battery storage and the impact of the water. She pointed out that the development was directly in the field below a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and expressed concerns about the impact of any run off from a fire at the development. She said This part of Telford and Wrekin was unstable and recent stabilisation works had taken place on Jiggers Bank as the land had dropped five foot. It was felt that it would be difficult to put any fire out on this site with its limited access and this development would amplify the risks.

Councillor David Cooper of Little Wenlock Parish Council also spoke against the development, highlighting the risks of fire at battery energy storage systems. He said that recent guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) on battery energy storage systems was draft and out for consultation and could not be taken into account.

Ms Katie Dewey, the case officer, explained that:

  • The site was suitable for the proposed development because of its proximity to an electricity pylon that would allow a connection to the National Grid.
  • The development would have a limited impact on the surrounding area. She said The infrastructure was proposed to be operational for 40 years and at the end of its 40-year operational life, all above ground infrastructure would be decommissioned, removed and the land returned to its original condition as an open field.
  • A detailed fire safety strategy had been agreed.
  • Recent decisions by planning inspectors had given weight to the importance of approving developments that would help the UK meet its target of Net Zero carbon emissions.

The committee voted against the officer's recommendation to delegate authority to grant planning permission and then voted to refuse planning permission on the grounds that the development did not comply with local and national planning policies.

Breffni House, Farm Lane, Horsehay

The committee considered an application to convert Breffni House into a residential care home for up to four children aged between 7 and 17.

The application had been called in by Councillor Raj Mehta. The Committee Report states that 46 objections to the proposal had been received, raising concerns about traffic congestion, anti-social behaviour, the impact on house prices and noise disturbance.

The applicant, Mr Lawrence O'Dwyer, said:

Positive outcomes has been established for over 10 years, and our service has evolved to provide trauma-informed therapeutic childcare in homes where children feel safe and nurtured. We are a growing organisation with a clear mission to deliver high-quality therapeutic care and continually improve our service, creating enriching environments for both children and colleagues.

He went on to say:

The children we support arrive to us having suffered significant trauma, and our homes enable them to recover from past experiences and recognise their potential. And indeed, many of our children leave us and gain independence jobs and become valuable members of society.

The case officer, Ms Chloe Roberts, explained that:

  • There would be no external alterations to the property.
  • The development was considered to be in a sustainable location, with good access to schools and local amenities.
  • The Highways Authority considered that the proposal would have a negligible impact on traffic.

Councillor Scott said:

I understand that people are always concerned when potentially rowdy kids could move in next door to them, and I think, you know, it’s a natural fear. However, this is going to have four young people in and five staff, which is probably more, well, it is more than if you had four kids with two parents.

Councillor Bentley said:

I think it’s a no-brainer, this. As a corporate parent, we have a responsibility to ensure that all children have opportunity and the best potential start that they can get in life.

The committee voted unanimously in favour of the officer's recommendation to grant planning permission.

34 Avon Close, Little Dawley

The committee considered an application to change the use of 34 Avon Close from a house to a residential care home for up to two children aged between 7 and 17.

The application had been called in by Councillor Shaun Davies. The Committee Report states that 24 objections to the proposal had been received, raising concerns about traffic congestion, anti-social behaviour, the suitability of the property and the level of consultation.

A resident, Mr Jason Blair, spoke against the application, raising concerns about parking and anti-social behaviour. He said:

People are talking about moving out, and they’re not happy. They’re not happy because I feel it’s like almost oil and water. There’s older ones who are ailing. They’ve seen how, yes, I can understand how these children, they’ve come up and they’ve come up in a difficult situation, but where we’re talking about is a lot of older ones where we’ve seen how these care facilities round about have caused a lot of problems, a lot of disturbance, a lot of issues with the police, and they don’t want that in their older age.

The applicant, Mr Ashley Waite, read a supporting statement from the development's care consultant which said:

The home is applying for planning permission for up to two children in a family-like setting, and family-like setting being the relevant part here.

The case officer, Ms Chloe Roberts, explained that:

  • The development was considered to be in a sustainable location, with good access to schools and local amenities.
  • The Highways Authority did not object to the proposal but expressed some concerns about parking.

Councillor Arnold England questioned the description of the property in the planning documents, noting that it was described as a dormer bungalow in some documents and a two-storey house in others. Ms Roberts confirmed that it was a dormer bungalow.

Councillor Janis Jones raised concerns about parking, pointing out that there would potentially be five cars associated with the development at any one time – one for each of the four staff members and one belonging to the children's social worker. Ms Roberts said that the social worker's visits would be infrequent and that it would be possible to impose a condition on the development limiting the number of staff working at the property at any one time.

The committee voted unanimously in favour of the officer's recommendation to grant planning permission.