A 600-HOME development on the outskirts of Oswestry will finally get underway later this year.

Plans for the 10-year development, off Shrewsbury Road, were initially submitted in 2016 before it received planning permission in 2018 from Shropshire Council’s North Planning Committee.

However, two years year later, the rubber stamp has finally been given to developer J Ross Developments for the 60-acre site.

It comes after Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) negotiated conditions with the council.

Work is expected to begin in later this year and will be completed in up to six phases with an expected completion by 2030.

Nick Scott, managing director of Pickstock Homes added: “As with many strategic schemes of this size the infrastructure requirements, including mitigation works on the A5 trunk road, have been complex.

"[It] required careful negotiation with the statutory authorities in order to ensure that the final conditions attached to the outline planning permission provide for a viable scheme on which to base our reserved matters applications.

"Pickstock Homes are looking forward to making a reserved matter application in the next few months to deliver the first tranche of residential development on this exciting new site."

In his report approving outline permission, council planning officer Philip Mullineux stated that a section 106 agreement – a legal document designed to mitigate the impact of the development on current infrastructure – on affordable housing was ready to be signed between all parties.

He also stated that a number of standard and specific conditions had to be met for the development to go ahead, including allowing traffic to flow freely on the A5 and A483.

The project is part of the council’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, which secured £9.3m to support significant highway capacity in the area, unlock the potential of Oswestry, while also stimulating employment.

Paul Shuker, director of planning, development and regeneration at LSH, said: “This new and sustainable urban extension to the second tier settlement in Shropshire will bring much-needed housing to the north of the county.”

The development will have a spine road built into it.

Concerns had previously been raised by both Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry Rural Parish Council the impact of the development.

While Highways England had also noted the impact but they have now backed the conditions.