Shropshire villagers fight 130-home plan

Campaigners have met to discuss the plans to build 130 homes in Waters Upton, north of Telford. The plans, on land between Catsbritch Lane and the A442, were submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council at the end of last month.

But villagers say there is a lot of anger that such a large scale application has been put forward and believe it could change their community "forever".

The applicants, Base Architects, said the village would not double in size overnight and the 130 homes would would be built in three phases during the next 10 years.

But Waters Upton Parish Council clerk Katrina Baker said: "This means 10 years of pollution and traffic and disruption. We will be living next to a building site for 10 years."

She said the parish centre room was full at a meeting held last Thursday to discuss the issue.

"We have formed a group of interested people to lead a campaign to, firstly, get the information out to people particularly those without IT so they can make an informed decision before they comment on the application consultation," she added.

"We discussed our plans for the next fortnight - we will be putting up posters and notices on wheelie bins so everyone gets the message about this application which we believe will change our community forever.

"It has been suggested we are nimbys but we are not. We have 93 properties in Waters Upton, there is already a planning application in place for another 40 so we would then have 133 and this is for another 130 so it is considerably more.

"It is taking good agricultural land that is regularly used for human food so corn, potatoes and maze.

"We are concerned about highways, loss of village life, rights of way and generally believe that 130 houses it too many.

"We believe the extra 40 will be sufficient to enable anybody who wants to live in Waters Upton to have a house."

Resident Emma Thomas added: "There is a lot of anger and a lot of disappointment that a proposal for this many houses in such a small rural village and taking agricultural land out of production is a primary concern we just do not have the sustainability to take on board that much traffic. We would like to see the growth of our village but in an organic form."

Nearly 60 letters of objection have already been received by Telford & Wrekin planners.

Carl Huntley, of Base Architects, said the existing road in Waters Upton would next be affected and the development would be brought in "very gently".

He added: "We do not dispute that there are objections but we are not looking to destroy the community we are looking to enhance it. There are people who want to move there who we should speak up for and say these are rural communities that people want to live and why can't their voices be as loud as the residents because they could potentially be members of the community in the future."