Outline Planning Permission Secured for 80 Homes in Telford.

A fantastic example of proactive placemaking and positive engagement. Berrys worked hand in hand with our client and with Council officers to design a new neighbourhood which would give something back to the people of Telford.

How We Approached The Project

The site was unallocated but lay within the urban area of Telford, meaning permission for housing could be granted in principle. Our task was to design a development which would complement existing neighbourhoods, deliver a viable housing scheme, protect a historic site and improve traffic flows on the nearby A5. Simple.

Our architects, civil engineers and town planners worked as one to resolve several matters. Firstly, we designed a new junction on the A5 which overcame the concerns of the Council’s highway officers. Next, we designed a sustainable drainage corridor for sign-off by the lead local flood authority.

With these two infrastructure items in place, we drew up a concept layout to show how 100 homes could be arranged on the site. At the heart of our design was an open space arranged around the remains of a medieval moat; we made this the centrepiece of our new neighbourhood and opened it up to the public for the first time.

The application went before planning committee with a recommendation for approval. Concerns were expressed at the meeting about the density and no decision was made. We then spent the next few weeks working in partnership with the Council’s planning officers to relax the density and to add further habitat and play space. The application went back to committee six weeks later and was approved almost unanimously.

How We Achieved The Project

This application succeeded because we took the Council’s concerns seriously and worked hard with the officers to get a result. Our goal throughout was to create a neighbourhood, not an estate. The approved scheme provides eighty houses arranged within a matrix of open space. Not only have we kept our central green heart but we now have two greenways providing car-free access from east to west and from north to south. Reserved matters are underway.