Council ‘not yet committed’ to huge new Telford development
Only “non-committal” meetings have been held over plans for hundreds of new homes and a series of large commercial sites, a council has claimed.
Last month, it emerged that Parkhill Estates had been in discussions over a plan for land to the north of Lawley, Telford, an area which has been the focus of major development in recent years.
The company said it wanted to develop a 150-acre site, which takes up most of the green space between Dawley Road, Lawley Drive and the M54. It sits north of Lawley village.
Under the plans, Parkhill Estates would use its land at the north of the site for commercial units, which it says could create more than 1,000 employment opportunities.
Land included in the Telford Land Deal to the south of the site would be used for housing, bordering the existing Lawley development.
The area, which includes former mining land that has been restored, is not within the local plan, meaning planning permission would almost certainly be refused at this stage.
Telford & Wrekin Council has confirmed it has held talks over the project but added the site would have to be included in the local plan through a review, before it could go ahead.
A spokesman for the authority said: “The council is aware of a recent press article published in the Shropshire Star, dated October 25, 2019, titled ‘Hundreds of New Homes Planned for Former Telford Mining Site’.
Modern
"To clarify the contact with Telford & Wrekin Council to-date, Parkhill have had a non-committal meeting with officers where they shared their ideas for the site back in spring of this year.
"It was confirmed the referenced site sits outside of the local plan and it is not allocated for development, so would need to be brought forward through any review of the local plan.
"It should be noted no master planning has been undertaken with either Telford & Wrekin Council or Homes England.”
Speaking last month James Cannon, property director for Parkhill, said that the site would be very attractive for business owners, and added new locations were needed in the town.
He said: “With a lack of modern buildings, occupiers are looking outside Telford for up-to-date stock, including i450 and i54 Phase II. We have a development in Walsall called Iron Park and we have received a variety of enquiries from occupiers in Telford seeking modern accommodation.
“Lawley Park seeks to address that issue and provide more modern accommodation for occupiers in Telford. We have a number of firm enquiries from existing occupiers in the town.”
Residents have voiced concern about access to health services, education and the loss of green space.
