Council and Developers clash over parking

Developers have urged an inspector to overturn Telford & Wrekin Council’s refusal of plans to turn former offices in Donnington into eight flats.

Council highways chiefs are opposed to the change of use of the former Wrekin Housing Trust building at The Parade because they said it does not have its own dedicated parking.

But planning agent James Bridgwater, on behalf of building owner Lewis Jones, has told a planning inspector that the “refusal is not supported by robust evidence and conflicts with both national and local policy.”

Background papers for the appeal say that when the building was used as offices of the housing trust, its employees parked in a nearby business area under an agreement, which no longer exists.

The developer says that there is plenty of spare parking space within 200 metres and in fact fewer spaces would be needed compared to its former office use, making the change a benefit.

The planning agent says the proposed development “benefits from demonstrably adequate, safe, and available nearby parking capacity” and it “will not have a severe or unacceptable impact on the highway network.”

Officials at the council agreed that there are areas of public space within the immediate area but that they considered it “unlikely that residents will be content in parking their vehicle 200m away from the property, where it cannot be seen, for long periods of time or overnight.

“Furthermore, it is not considered that this parking arrangement would be sufficient when carrying out tasks such as bringing shopping into the dwelling.”

Members of the public and business owners had also objected to the original planning application.

The owners of the Shanghai Star and Spice Masala were worried about residents taking spaces that their customers used in the evenings.

The Spice Masala claimed its business will be affected, as spaces will be taken by the residents and not available for customers.

Local residents said that the flats needed their own bin spaces.

One objector wrote: “Eight flats is eight red bins, eight purple bins, eight blue boxes, eight food waste containers, they need to make an indoor bin store so the bins are in a communal area and not put all over the path of car park or on any land they don’t own or have as part of their site.

“I have seen this before with flats, loads of bins end up making the place look a mess. Consideration hasn’t been taken for waste storage and recycling.”

The logjam is set to be decided by a Whitehall planning inspector based on written representations.

A decision is set to be made following the receipt of final comments from council planners which are due by October 8, 2025.

Story by David Tooley – Local Democracy Reporter

Pic: Former Wrekin Housing Trust offices in Donnington. Google Maps.