Harworth Group’s landmark Ironbridge regeneration has been approved by Shropshire planning officials, after a legal hold-up allowed the company time to alter some controversial elements of its proposals.
Harworth wants to build 1,000 homes, a retirement village, primary school and more than 200,000 sq ft of commercial space at the site of the old Ironbridge Power Station. But its original plans put forward just 50 affordable homes, or 5% of the total homes planned. Shropshire Council’s local policy stipulates 20% affordable housing.
Shropshire Council went against its planning officer’s recommendation and voted to refuse the outline planning application in August, citing a lack of affordable housing and infrastructure, and describing the development as “unsustainable”.
The company then proposed lifting the proportion of affordable homes to 10%, as well as increasing capital funding for healthcare from the proposed £500,000 to £913,000, and boosting the funding contribution for improvements to the Gaskell Arms junction at Much Wenlock by £100,000 to £350,000.
Harworth pushed back against the earlier vote to refuse, lodging a legal complaint over the handling of an e-mail sent to the committee by an objector during the August meeting, which alleged that the council’s viability consultant had a conflict of interest.
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