The meeting's report pack says the committee will be provided with information about a planning application that was previously deferred, as well as additional comments from statutory consultees and members of the public. The report pack also states that it contains a recommendation for the committee to grant delegated authority to a council officer to approve the application subject to a number of conditions.

TWC/2023/0673 - Land off Hadley Castle Works, Hadley

This application concerns the erection of five industrial units¹ on land off Hadley Castle Works in Hadley.

The report pack states that the application is seeking permission for the units to operate under Use Classes B2, B8, and E(g)(iii), with ancillary office space (Use Class E(g)(i)).

The report pack includes a recommendation that delegated authority be granted to the Service Delivery Manager to grant full planning permission. The report pack states that this is subject to a Section 106 Agreement² being signed that will include the following obligations:

i) Travel Plan Monitoring (£5,000 per unit);

ii) Strategic Highway Network (£449,348.68);

iii) Enhancements/Upgrade to off-site Bus Stops on Hortonwood 30 and Hadley Road (£75,000);

iv) Delivery of off-site Biodiversity Net-Gain Mitigation and 30-year monitoring fee of Biodiversity Net Gain Mitigation Plan;

v) 1% Monitoring Fee for Section 106 Contributions.

The report pack also states that this delegated authority would be subject to the following conditions:

Time Limit

Samples of Materials

Travel Plan

Confirmation on Proposed Use and Occupiers (incl. Operational Hours)

Parking Details

Details of Works to Pedestrian and Cycle Access Routes

Foul and Surface Water Drainage

Drainage: Environment Agency Agreement

Details of Upgrade Works to Existing Drainage System

Schedule of Works – Desilting and Repointing of Canal

Schedule of Works and Details of Heritage Improvements

Phase II Site Investigation

HE: Watching Brief³

Landscaping Details

Landscape Management Plan

Tree Protective Fencing Plan

Ecological Mitigation Strategy and Method Statement

Erection of Artificial Nesting/Roosting Boxes

Lighting Plan

Construction Environmental Management Plan (Including further noise surveys and resident working group)

Construction Environmental Management Plan: Biodiversity

Biodiversity Net Gain Monitoring Plan – On-site

Biodiversity Net Gain Monitoring Plan – Off-site

Details of Solar Panels, Heat Pumps and Battery Storage Facilities

Noise Assessment Prior to Occupation

Parking, Loading, Unloading and Turning

Development in Accordance with Deposited Plans

Works in Accordance with Ecological Impact Assessment

Works in Accordance with Arboricultural Impact Assessment

Works in Accordance with Site Waste Management Plan

Delivery of Cycle Parking/Storage

Delivery of Internal Accesses, Roads, Parking, Turning and Servicing Areas

According to the report pack this application was originally considered by the committee on 4 September 2024. The report pack states that the application was deferred at that time, and that the reason for the deferral was:

TO ALLOW FURTHER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC TO TAKE PLACE AND FOR FURTHER INFORMATION IN RELATION TO NOISE AND HIGHWAY IMPACTS TO BE SUBMITTED.

The report pack states that the additional engagement requested by the committee took place on 13 September 2024. It states that a meeting was held between officers, the applicant, Councillor Phil Millward from Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council, and Councillor Gemma Offland, who was ward member for Hadley and Leegomery at that time.

The report pack states that following the meeting, the Applicant provided further information about noise and highway impacts, and revised some of the submitted plans. The revised plans and additional information were then subject to a new round of public consultation.

The report pack states that the application site lies within both the urban boundary of Telford, as set out in Policy SP1 of the Telford and Wrekin Local Plan 2011-2031, and the Hadley Park Strategic Employment Area as defined in Policy EC1 of the same plan. It states that Policy SP1 supports development within the urban area, and that Policy EC1:

recognises the importance of strategic employment areas within the borough, noting that such areas are expected to deliver ‘B’ use classes along with ‘Sui Generis’ uses which support the strategic employment area.

The report pack states that there is a public footpath and an established belt of mature trees on the boundary of the site that is closest to the residential properties on Warwick Way and Longthorpe Drive. The report pack states that these features will be retained, and that the applicant will also install a dense landscape buffer within the application site.

The report pack states that there are a number of residential properties on the streets surrounding the site. It states that objections to the proposal were received from residents on Yew Tree Meadow, Porchester Close, Sandal Close, Hedingham Road, Warwick Way, Longthorpe Drive, Wheatley Crescent, Parkdale and Sankey Drive.

The report pack states that the application site lies close to two grade II listed locks on the former Trench Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. It states that the Shropshire Union Canal is itself a non-designated heritage asset.

The report pack contains a number of CGI images that are intended to demonstrate how the proposed units will appear in situ from the streetscene. The report pack states that the images show:

a high-quality development with the use of appropriate materials for such context, incl. flat panel cladding, metal half round wall cladding and aluminium windows and doors.

The report pack states that Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council and Mark Pritchard MP⁴ objected to the application, and that Councillor Gemma Offland requested that it be determined by the committee.

The report pack states that the Canal & River Trust has requested that the drainage scheme for the site is designed to protect species present in the canal, including white-clawed crayfish.

The report pack states that the Shropshire Council Archaeology service has requested that a programme of archaeological work is undertaken before the development can go ahead. It states that phase 1 of this work should include a geophysical survey and trial trenching.

The report pack states that, according to the submitted Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment, the development will result in a net loss of biodiversity. It states that:

Following extensive conversation between the Officers and the applicant, it has been proposed that the site will use off-site units to compensate for the losses created through this scheme in order to achieve the no net loss of biodiversity, as required by Policy NE1.