New 155-pitch holiday park set to be approved

A decision will be made next week on plans for a 155-pitch holiday park near Ironbridge.

The scheme, which has been scaled down since the original plans were lodged for 177 pitches, has been put forward by the owners of 4×4 off-roading centre Buildwas Leisure.

Shropshire Council planning officers have recommended approval of the change of use for the 48-acre site when the proposals go before the authority’s southern planning committee on Tuesday.

Under the amended plans, there would be 120 static caravans and ‘luxury lodges’ as well as 35 touring caravan pitches, a reception block, amenities, a wildlife pond, woodland walks and recreational areas.

A shuttle bus service will be provided to take visitors to and from Ironbridge and Telford Central Railway Station, as well as cycle hire.

Improvements will be carried out to the existing access to Home Farm off the B4380 Buildwas Road.

Buildwas Parish Council has objected to the proposals, saying they would lead to a “significant increase in traffic” including a large number of caravans which would need to pass each other on the access road.

The council added that the development would cause noise and light pollution and impact existing residents.

Five objections were also received from members of the public, along with one letter of support.

The applicants say the scheme will boost the local tourism economy and improve biodiversity through “significant landscaping”.

A report to the committee by planning officer Richard Fortune says: “The proposed layout of the holiday caravans/lodges and their associated parking and road/paths network, coupled with the ground re-profiling and landscaping scheme, would result in a development which, whilst visible due to the hillside location, would not be unduly obtrusive in the rural landscape.

“The impact of the development would be further softened as the new tree planting in the landscape scheme establishes and matures.”

Addressing the traffic concerns, the report adds: “The transport statement, using nationally recognised standards and modelling, has established that there would be no access junction or road network capacity problems resulting from the proposed development.

“A safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all users and any significant impacts from the development on the transport network, or on highway safety, can be cost effectively mitigated to an acceptable degree by the works and measures proposed.

“There would be no unacceptable impact on highway safety, or residual cumulative impacts on the road network that would justify a refusal of planning permission in this case.”