DEVELOPERS hoping to build houses in the grounds of a Grade II listed house could soon have three different schemes to choose between after their second set of plans were approved.

Shropshire Council’s southern planning committee voted at a meeting on Tuesday to support proposals for four homes in the overgrown gardens of Linney House in Ludlow, six years after original plans for three houses were given the green light.

Meanwhile another application for eight homes is to be decided by the planning inspectorate after the landowner appealed on the grounds of non-determination after the council took to long to make a decision.

If the eight house scheme is also approved, the developer will get to decide which of the three sets of plans to progress with.

Recommending the committee approve the four-house scheme, planning officer Andrew Sierakowski said the applicant was seeking to “address the shortcomings” of the previous two applications, including by putting together a “greatly enhanced landscaping scheme” and “long term management plan” for the woodland on site.

Councillor Andy Boddington, the local member for the site, spoke in support of the application. He said: “This scheme keeps the important wildlife corridor along the Corve just about intact.

“I support the officer’s recommendation that this scheme is approved. It is modern in design and that is appropriate for the site. It less damaging than other applications for this site.”

Members of the committee said the latest plans for hour larger detached houses were an improvement on the previous designs, and expressed hope that this would be the option the developer progresses with.

Councillor Robert Tindall asked whether it was possible to revoke approval of the three-house scheme if the latest application was granted, but was told by officers that while technically possible it would be a messy process. It was decided not to go down this avenue.

As part of the development, the wall along The Linney will be re-built and taken back to improve visibility from the access point, and a second access will be created.

Once the properties are occupied, a management company will be set up to manage the woodland on behalf of the homeowners.