Development bid for 335 homes rejected after backlash

Plans for 335 homes on the outskirts of Oswestry have been rejected by Shropshire Council.

Wain Estates had been seeking outline planning permission to build on land south of Mount Road, but the application drew more than 300 objections from people in the area.

In coming to its decision, the council said it had concerns about access to the planned housing estate, about flooding and about its impact on local infrastructure.

Wendy Owen, one of the councillors representing the town, said she was "delighted" with the outcome and thanked "the passion of the many residents who often raised the issues with highway access and flooding".

The application had included a public open space, landscaping and drainage system, along with a new road junction to access the site from the B4540.

Wain Estates had also promised to improve a section of the existing bridleway that crosses the site from High Fawr Avenue.

But there were 351 objections from people in the area and both Severn Trent and Historic England raised concerns.

The latter said it was worried about the impact on a nearby Grade II listed property and its surrounding parkland.

Because Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, chose not to use her powers to intervene, the decision to refuse the application was made by council officers.

Owen said she was pleased the government had "allowed this sensible decision to be made locally".

The Liberal Democrat said officers had determined the development would be "unsustainable" if it went ahead without significant changes.

Shropshire Council planning conditions would not have been enough to address the problems, she added.

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

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