Cllr to fight homes plan ‘tooth and nail’
A leading councillor is vowing to “fight tooth and nail” as a developer lodges plans for 166 homes to the south of Newport.
The 8.5 hectare site south of The Dale/The Crescent in Church Aston, is one of the development sites identified in the Telford & Wrekin Council local plan which is currently in its review stage.
Councillor Andrew Eade told a meeting of Church Aston Parish Council on Monday (November 3) that he is gearing up to “fight it tooth and nail.”
The Church Aston & Lilleshall borough councillor is also the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council’s opposition Conservative group.
He gave the parish council the heads up that the Bellway Homes was about to lodge the application.
There was huge opposition when site 472 was identified in 2024 when the parish council talked of a “major threat to the future character of our village.”
More than 150 local residents attended a drop-in session in the village on December 13, 2023.
Councillor Eade conceded that opponents’position is weaker now that the site is in the draft local plan. But it has yet to be formally approved by planning inspectors as a part of the review.
He added that his fallback position is getting concessions from the developers to pay for various schemes, including flood prevention.
A planning application has been lodged with Telford & Wrekin Council but it is not yet open for public consultation.
Officials are in the process of validating the proposal and will not place comments on the record at this stage.
But the application confirms that Bellway Homes, of Tamworth, Staffordshire is wanting to develop 166 domestic dwellings, have an access off the A518, include open space, landscaping, a play area, footpaths, and drainage.
The company has development sites across the UK and the West Midlands, including Darwin’s Edge, off Hereford Road, in Shropshire.
The Telford and Wrekin Local Plan review was formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on September 12 and inspectors Mike Worden and Catherine Carpenter have started to examine it.
As part of the process a number of hearing sessions called for by the Planning Inspectorate will have to be held and Telford & Wrekin Council will have to advertise the opening of a hearing at least six weeks in advance.
Bellway Homes has been asked for comment.
