Plans have been unveiled for the construction of a new road to open up land for a major development including hundreds of homes, leisure facilities, holiday cabins, business premises and an assisted living complex.
Developers say their masterplan will provide a “logical extension” of Ellesmere, between the town’s southern boundary and the Shropshire Union Canal.
A planning application has now been lodged for the spine road, which will extend from the Ellesmere Business Park roundabout to Canal Way, to provide future access to the land ready for building.
An outline application for the wider site was approved in December 2016, but a full application for the first phase of 99 homes was refused last year – partly on the grounds that the outline permission had stipulated that the spine road should be the first priority.
The planning statement accompanying the new application for the spine road says: “Since the vision for the site was first introduced within the Shropshire Council local plan adopted in 2015, there has been a desire locally (Ellesmere Town Council and Ellesmere Rural Parish Council) to provide the link road in its entirety prior to any significant level of development being provided.
“This planning application responds to this desire and seeks consent for the very specific engineering and infrastructure associated with the link road and the necessary earthworks and flood alleviation works.
“Once the link road application is approved, it is anticipated that work would start on site to create the link road and the associated earthworks in late 2023 or early 2024.
“In the meantime separate planning applications would be submitted for the development parcels throughout the wider development site.”
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The document, by Nigel Thorns Planning Consultancy, also reveals that since outline permission was obtained, the landowner, Burbury Investments Ltd, has acquired an extra piece of land next to the business park roundabout for “commercial, retail and/or office use”.
The majority of the land is set aside for housing, and is allocated for around 250 homes in Shropshire Council’s development plan, though the applicant has previously said it hopes to build over 400. The land is also next to a separate development of 107 properties by Shropshire Homes, which is yet to get underway.
An extra care facility will be constructed on the easternmost part of the site – next to the current Ellesmere Wharf development of 23 homes by Shropshire Council’s own company Cornovii.
The indicative masterplan also shows parcels of land marked up for holiday cabins and touring caravans next to the canal, as well as an area for leisure facilities and public open space.
A footpath will be provided along one side of the spine road and a shared foot and cycle path on the other.
A design and access statement by the applicant’s architects Roberts Limbrick says: “This masterplan demonstrates the importance of the spine road and associated earthworks for being able to deliver a range of development on this site.
“This spine road will not only enable vehicular access, but also provide a generous and pleasant access for all users, connecting the different uses of the site.”
The plans can be found by searching application reference 23/02170/FUL on Shropshire Council’s website.
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