New shop approved – despite objections

A shop owner’s plan to demolish and replace a Telford convenience store has been approved despite objections.

Planning officials at Telford and Wrekin Council said that the proposal for the site of Hill Top News, in Ironbridge Road, Madeley, was acceptable “on balance”.

Applicant Vass Kanagaradnam wanted to demolish and replace the newsagents to provide an “improved retail offering” and build two apartments on top.

Planning agent James Smith, of Base Architecture & Design Ltd, said there had been concerns about a previously withdrawn application over “noise pollution, parking, privacy and concerns over the construction phase of the scheme”.

But the agent said revised proposals had addressed these concerns. The council planners were able to set a range of conditions.

“As the retail use is existing and of a similar scale, it would not be anticipated that the current proposals would introduce unacceptable levels of noise into the area,” the agents said.

Balconies would also be screened to “ensure privacy of the existing dwellings along Roberts Road”.

Objector Laura Jones had told the council that the flats would “further increase people parking in the road which is already oversubscribed for existing residents”.

“Customers using the existing shop already park in Roberts Road blocking our driveways which are opposite. This building will block our view from our property and cause us to become overlooked and result in a lack of privacy.”

An anonymous objector added: “There is no clear justification for demolishing a longstanding local facility and replacing it with a larger commercial and residential development.”

But the plans also drew support, including from Miss T Disha, who wrote: “I strongly support the application; the owner seems to be trying to improve the site for the better.”

Council planners approved the proposals and imposed 17 conditions.

In a decision issued on Tuesday (August 5) officers said they were satisfied that the plan was “not considered to result in an overdevelopment”.

They added: “Significant concerns have been raised by neighbouring properties regarding the number of parking bays being proposed and the impact the scheme would have on the surrounding highway network.

“These concerns have been considered at length and comments have been received from the local highways authority, supporting the proposed scheme, subject to conditions.”

Parking provision is “considered to comply with” local standards, they said.

And planning officers agreed that because there will be an increased level of storage, a smaller number of deliveries will be required per week.

They added that there are “no technical highways reasons to warrant the refusal of this application”.

Officers said they took concerns into consideration but “consider that the majority have been satisfactorily addressed”.

“As a result of the above, officers consider that the proposed scheme is acceptable on balance in this instance.”