Iron Age education centre given the go-ahead

The development will include three replica roundhouses and a multi-purpose activity structure.

Plans for a disused quarry to be turned into an outdoor activity centre have been approved after a delay of several months.

The proposal for the Maddock's Hill and Quarry site in Little Wenlock includes building three Iron Age roundhouses and a multi-purpose activity structure.

Despite objections to the plan, including from Little Wenlock Parish Council, it was approved by Telford and Wrekin Council’s planning committee in March.

A Freedom of Information request in October found the plans were delayed due to a legal agreement with the developer not being in place but this was resolved.

“The aim is to establish a top tier educational fieldwork facility to operate as a hub for outdoor education, fieldwork and research,” said applicant Andy Moir, of Tree-Ring Services, in the planning documents.

The applicant said there was "no intention" to run non-educational activities such as weekend camping and the site would be restricted to higher education uses.

Pods on the site would accommodate 20 people for overnight stays with space for a further 18 people who would not stay on-site.

A planning officer told committee members, although the development was part of the Wrekin Strategic Landscape, the site would be "controlled through conditions" and there were no grounds to refuse the application.

This report was compiled by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a partnership between the BBC and regional news organisations to cover news from local authorities and other public service organisations.