Persimmon Homes have confirmed that they have now submitted their long-anticipated outline planning application for the site off Shillingston Drive and adjacent to the ancient woodland of Lion Coppice. It is currently in the process of being validated by Shropshire Council before being made public.
Members of the Berwick and Battlefield Residents Steering Group have had advance sight of a revised indicative plan of the site (not the full application) and it appears that all the feedback that local residents gave to Persimmon during their public "consultation" has been completely ignored with the revised plans including features that are the exact opposite of what local residents have called for. However, we won't know for certain until the plans are finally made public.
Once published there will be a statutory 21-day period during which comments from residents and other members of the public will be invited and will be taken into account by the Planning Committee in coming to a decision. A full analysis of the published proposals will be made by the Berwick and Battlefield Residents Steering Group and the results published on this website.
The recently discovered presence of Ghost Moths on the site should result in the application being modified. A further survey specifically to establish the distribution of the Ghost Moths is vital and a more thorough ecological survey is clearly required to see if anything else has been missed. Whether this will delay publication is not yet known, but it is important that development on or near a site as ecologically valuable as this should be considered carefully and thoroughly. The planners and the planning committee should not be rushed or bullied into a quick decision by the needs of a property developer whose only interest is in maximising return on investment.
