Campaigners have vowed to fight for their ‘last remaining green space’ which will be lost to a controversial housing development if plans get the go-ahead.
Hermitages Residents Group has launched a campaign to fight plans by Shropshire Homes to build a five-bedroomed home in the grounds of 40 Belle Vue Gardens – claiming that no consultation has been made with residents.
It would involve the removal of more than 10 trees, including a 16 metre-high Norway spruce, in an area protected within the Belle Vue conservation area.
A variety of wildlife including birds and bats also inhabit the gardens and more than 50 signatures have been collected by residents furious at the proposals.
Shropshire Homes purchased the Chatsworth House site next to the gardens in November for the construction of nine new houses, including the demolition of the former children’s nursery which had fallen into disrepair.
But after consultation with residents the application was altered to build eight houses, plus the remodelling of Chatsworth House. Now developers have put in a third application to build the additional house raising fears that the last remaining garden in the area will disappear.
Resident’s association member, Robert Oak, said: “It is still a wildlife haven and I think everyone would be horrified if this was pushed through and the habitats and historical significance would be lost.
“When the initial application was altered there was a pre-condition that all the trees, shrubs and hedges should be protected and this has blatantly been ignored which has already made people quite livid. Before we knew it they wanted to extend the site and this time they didn’t consult anyone – only myself and one other have received letters – and the fear is that the planning committee will see this as just another house and approve it.”
Resident Una Graham said: “There has been a total lack of consultation with residents. It’s completely inappropriate for the area – they did the very same thing on a site in South Hermitage a few years ago which left many older people really upset.”
Howard Thorne, spokesperson for Shropshire Homes, said: “Before submitting this application we commissioned a full independent arboricultural report on all of the trees on the property. It identified two trees of landscape value which will be retained and a number of trees of low value – and some of these will be removed if the application is approved.
“Our proposal also allows the retention of an unusual late Victorian summerhouse which we consider of local and architectural interest.”
By David Seadon
