Last October, Shropshire Housing Group (SHG) felled a healthy sycamore tree on the green space between Sidney Road and Charlton Rise. A second tree was saved after hurried negotiations. Now SHG has submitted plans to cut down the second tree and build seven bungalows on the site.
When the tree was felled last October, SHG said:
“The costs associated with trees are borne by our residents. It is imperative that we mitigate these costs to allow our tenancies to remain affordable. One tree was cut down, however, upon discussions with tenants and a representative of the council it has been agreed that a more appropriate smaller tree will be planted in the near future.”
This all sounds rather hollow as in recent days, the housing association has submitted plans for a series of developments around Ludlow, including this green.
The plans are currently being validated and are not yet on Shropshire Council’s planning portal.
All of seven bungalows will be social housing. One will be designed for a wheelchair user.
Ludlow Town Council has already said that it will oppose this scheme. At a Representational Committee – the council’s planning committee – a few months back, it decided to apply for the green to become a town green, which would mean that it would be protected from development in perpetuity. However, no action has been taken on this and it may now be too late under changes to town green legislation introduced in 2013.
The town council also decided to apply for the footpath to be dedicated as a right of way and for a tree preservation order on the second sycamore. I am not sure any action has been taken on either of these.
Shropshire Housing Group statement.
Please, Andy, oppose this in any way you can. Making it a town green would be just right for this welcome patch of open space. Older residents tell what a lovely part of Ludlow ‘s countryside was lost when the social housing was built. We need what’s left of it, while the ideas about replacing such as garages with dwellings are good ones. We should only be a tarting on green space when every brownfield space is used.
Hands off this green open space, it’s a welcome relief in an area of over developed housing, it attracts your eye whether walking or driving past.
So underhanded of the SHG – obviously hoping that both trees would be felled and the ground would be flattened without any intervention, ready for their next step – and to make out that they hadn’t done it to make way for a planning application. Please try and get this bit of Ludlow green space saved – there is precious little of it within the A49 now, so need to protect what is left.
Have just walked back from Ludlow, and see that the notice to say that a Protection Order has been requested on the remaining tree – wonderful – and lovely to see it beginning to green up!