Controversial plans to redevelop redundant industrial buildings into more than 100 new homes in a south Shropshire town are a step closer to fruition.
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The application from Muller England Ltd was recommended for approval by district planners on Wednesday, but will have to pass through scrutiny before going to the full council. It is then likely to go onto the Secretary of State for a final decision.
Muller England’s chief executive Graham Farr was pleased to see the application at Cleobury Mortimer, which he hopes will bring security, more jobs and affordable housing to the region, moving forward. He said the application would secure the future of the precision machine components supplier in the area and the viability of the company’s pension scheme.
“In the last four years alone the company has contributed over £1.5 million to the scheme. The pension scheme is bleeding the company dry,” he added. “This application is specifically designed to protect 182 jobs, 320 pension scheme members and ensure the continuity of operations in Cleobury.”
The company has also pledged to give 1.5 acres of the site to the parish council to “use as it sees fit.”
Cleobury Mortimer ward and local parish councillor Gwilym Butler, who spoke for the application at Wednesday’s meeting, said the amount of local support was “overwhelming with not one objection.”
He said: “The application is not just for the future of this site but also the future of the economy in the area. If we want more employment land we can identify it on the outskirts of the town, just like this has occurred in Ludlow. I believe this is our best opportunity for the site.”
Councillor Nigel Hartin said the application went against the council’s own planning policies.
The committee recommended by a narrow margin of four votes to three that the application go to full council for approval. Other conditions included restrictions on the size of the homes included in the development.