ALLOWING new houses to be built on farmland in Weston Lullingfields could “open the floodgates” to more applications and overdevelop the village, a committee has heard.

But, despite objections from Baschurch Parish Council and concerns a housing “gold rush” has already exceeded the existing quota, councillors granted outline planning permission for two more homes.

Under the plans, two detached houses with a shared driveway could be built at the west end of Petton Road.

Shropshire Council’s own plan, covering 2006 to 2026, recommends only “15 to 20” new homes are built – but a local objector pointed out that the two new homes could be the 22nd and 23rd.

In a report before the North Shropshire Planning Committee, planning officer Tim Rogers writes that, since the plan was enacted, Weston Lullingfields has been “the victim of a ‘gold rush’, and applications for developments far exceeded the plan numbers”.

Shropshire Council say 16 developments have been approved or completed so far, but the local parish council dispute this figure, saying the number is 21.

Baschurch councillor Jonathan Carr told the committee: “If this one is granted permission, it will open the floodgates and invite further applications.

“We have now had 21 developments, which is a 20 per cent increase in the size of this hamlet.

“In our view, further development is not sustainable. There is no employment locally, so any additional residents will increase traffic on the roads to and from this hamlet.”

Nigel Thorns spoke at the meeting to represent the applicants, a Mr and Mrs Gough. He said the plan was an “infill development” – building a home between existing homes, rather than expanding the size of the village – and the council’s planning departments approved of the plan.

“If this outline permission is granted, we will consider the detailed design and layout to make sure the amenity of the neighbouring sites is not affected,” he said.

He said the applicants believed the true figure of homes already approved in Weston Lullingfields was “somewhere between” 16 and 21, but pointed out that the 15-20 figure was merely a “guideline”.

“It’s not a maximum number of houses to be built,” he said.

Councillors voted unanimously to grant outline permission.

Councillor Paul Wynn, who chairs the committee, said: “In the event of any subsequent application, the officers will take into account the numbers, probably even more so. It goes without saying.”