Wem homes approval prompts calls for ‘link road’
Plans to build 60 homes in north Shropshire have been approved, despite residents objections over traffic concerns.
Proposals for eight acres of land off Soulton Road in Wem were put forward by AFM Farming in July last year, prompting the town council to call for a link road to be built to address traffic concerns in the growing town.
The development is earmarked for agricultural land to the east of the town, which is notably bottle-necked at the railway station, and at the junction of Mill Street and the High Street during peak hours.
In a response to the consultation for the proposals, Wem Town council had urged Shropshire Council to facilitate “round-table discussions with all applicants for housing developments east of the town” to address concerns over infrastructure.
Two other outline schemes are currently under consideration with the local planning authority, which could see a further 200 homes built in the east of the town. A proposal for up to 175 homes lodged by Bellway for a neighbouring site on Church Lane was deferred last month over access concerns.
But in the face of 24 objections to the scheme, Shropshire Council’s planning officers were unmoved, adding that Wem has sufficient capacity to accommodate the extra houses, without a severe impact to the town’s roads.
They added the homes would deliver a meaningful contribution to housing in Wem, as well as increasing the local population, which would help to support existing services and facilities.
“While it is acknowledged that the railway level crossing to the west of the site can experience periodic queuing, this is an existing constraint affecting the wider road network, and the submitted assessment concludes that the development would only contribute a limited number of additional vehicles during peak periods,” they said.
“While the site lies outside the defined development boundary and therefore within countryside for policy purposes, its close relationship with the existing urban area of Wem reduces reliance on private car travel and supports access to local services by more sustainable modes.”
Berrys provided planning consultancy and drawings for the application.
Plans and documents relating to the application can be found on Shropshire Council’s planning portal under reference: 25/02558/OUT
