Councillors in Oswestry say affordable homes on a new development near Mile End roundabout can’t be used as “sound blocks” for more expensive properties.

The outline scheme for up to 85 new dwellings, put forward by Shropshire Council backed developer Cornovii Homes, was top of the agenda at Oswestry Town Council’s planning committee last night (May 15).

Representatives from the developer laid out their timescales for the site’s development should planning permission be approved, with a potential start date for works of early 2025.

But while town councillors are broadly supportive, they say they want more detailed information on how “obvious” noise issues from the road are going to be dealt with after expressing concerns about the location of affordable homes included as part of the scheme.

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Shropshire Council’s regulatory team recommended that acoustic design is considered at the outline stage rather than with the detailed application later on, after a noise assessment commissioned by the developer indicated that the majority of properties would exceed the recommended external levels.

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Cornovii Homes have a proposed a 3m high acoustic fence along the east of the site, and say “careful consideration” will be given to the layout of the development at the detailed design stage.

“I welcome housing development on this site, but I’d welcome it when I’ve seen a plan which deals with the obvious noise issues and I question why it’s been left so late,” said councillor Duncan Kerr.

“We all hoped that Cornovii would provide much more affordable housing than anyone else, unfortunately we’ve got to the point where they provide the same level of affordable housing.

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“I always have a fear that affordable housing will become the sound block for housing for sale – I’m sure a housing developer owned by Shropshire Council wouldn’t do this but that’s the way some developers will seek to mitigate the problems of noise.

“It’s even more important that we make sure [ affordable housing ] is in the right place and that it’s not placed in a position where people with limited incomes are placed at a disadvantage.”

Meanwhile, a response from National Highways recommended a three month delay in planning permission being granted for the scheme so the developer could provide more information regarding the arrangements for proposed road access to the development.

The site, which was once used as a prisoner of war camp but has since reverted to arable farmland, forms part of Oswestry’s “Eastern Gateway” urban extension, including a new business park on the opposite site of the roundabout.

The scheme is similar to one which was put forward by Cornovii Homes in February 2023 but withdrawn a month later.

An outline application for 600 homes on a larger site which included the land subject to the application was approved in 2020, but never built on.