Next steps in Ironbridge Power Station development plan

Up to 40 vehicles could be entering part of a huge building site every weekday for the next four years at the former Ironbridge Power Station.

Outline planning permission was granted in September 2022 for the building of up to 1,000 homes, a retirement village and leisure uses at the site near the River Severn in Buildwas.

Since then the developers have been applying to Shropshire Council for approval on a large number of conditions.

The latest batch of applications are related to a 6.5 hectare part of the massive area, which developers call Tower Woods at Benthall Grange in Ironbridge. Other sections of the development are not included in the traffic assessments.

Some 202 residential plots will be developed, alongside associated highways, utilities and landscaping work.

The public will be able to access the Phase 2 area of the site following the opening of the sales area, which is in the plan for December 2025;

Works on the plot are due for completion in 2029 and include earthworks, road and sewer construction, utility mains laying.

Phase 2 site developer Taylor Wimpey have told planners at Shropshire Council that the “total number of vehicles accessing the Phase 2 construction works is anticipated to be up to approximately 30-40 vehicles per day.

“The largest vehicle accessing the site would be an articulated HGV, which is anticipated to be accessing on a daily basis.

“No vehicles will be required to wait on the local highway network.”

The developer has confirmed that their figure is based on a maximum number of vehicles, and includes staff vehicles and deliveries. The site provides employment for more than 50 tradespeople.

Taylor Wimpey has also confimed that the traffic figure excludes other developers within the wider consortium.

Council planners have also been told about how the site will be accessed, working hours and how they will deal with complaints and which roads will be used.

“Access to the Phase 2 site for construction vehicles, site operatives and visitors will be from the  A4169 Much Wenlock Road to the west of the wider power station development site,” say the documents.

“No construction traffic associated with Phase 2 will be routed over the existing vehicular bridge crossing the river from Buildwas Road.”

They are proposing that all construction traffic shall approach the site and leave the site via A4169 Buildwas Bank.

Working hours at the site are to be 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays (excluding bank holidays) and between 8am and 12 noon on Saturdays.

They add that no works will take place on Sunday or Bank Holidays, unless due to an emergency or with prior written approval of the Local Planning Authority.

“No other site operations, including delivery of materials, plant and equipment shall be carried out outside of these hours unless of an exceptional nature,” the planning documents say.

The construction plan will be reviewed on a regular basis by Taylor Wimpey to ensure that the proposed measures are “effective and are considered sufficient to mitigate potential impacts associated with the proposed works.

“Meetings will be held regularly to discuss the performance of the construction plan, to identify any improvements that may be required and to review any complaints received. This will enable prompt action to be taken if any issues are identified.”

The reserved matters application is out for public consultation until June 11, 2025 on the Shropshire Council planning website with the reference 25/01858/DIS.