Controversial housing plan set for approval

Plans for 40 affordable homes that have attracted scores of objections have been recommended for approval by council planners.

The scheme for the former Wrekin Endeavour Centre, off North Road in Wellington, is set to be decided by Telford and Wrekin Council's planning committee next week.

Sixty-eight objections were made by neighbours, including Wellington Town Council, with much of the concerns raised about its effects on traffic and parking.

But council officials said those issues related to two nearby schools and did not make the GreenSquareAccord (GSA) proposal "unacceptable".

The plan was altered to increase the number of parking spaces on the site from 40 to 48 and the developer could agree to pay £5,000 for road restrictions, officers stated in a report prepared for the meeting.

"In order to ensure the school-related parking does not occur within the site, parking restrictions would be installed at the upgraded site access and extended into the site," they wrote.

The report added there were "no traffic management and road safety concerns on North Road that at this present time warrant intervention".

The council is also seeking contributions from the developer of £210,910 towards schools and £35,831 for the expansion of the Wellington Medical Practice.

Councillor Paul Davis, a member of both the borough and town councils, had the application called in and said it was a "preposterous scheme that does not serve the local community well in its current format".

He previously told a town council planning meeting that residents often saw drivers mounting pavements when dropping off school pupils nearby.

"The traffic volume is already overwhelming," he said. "This development could mean 80 or more extra cars."

Town councillor Stuart Williams said he believed the plan constituted "massive over development" and the number of proposed homes should be at least halved.

The plans are a second attempt by the developer to build homes on the site.

GSA gained planning permission for a dementia care building in 2022 but that was shelved in favour of the current plan to meet "local need".

The planning committee meeting will start at 18:00 GMT next Wednesday.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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