Talks over future of Shrewsbury's Copthorne Barracks site
The development of Shrewsbury's Copthorne Barracks needs to provide more than just housing, according to the councillor in charge of Shropshire's planning.
Councillor Malcolm Price, the authority's cabinet member for planning, has revealed that the council has begun discussions with the owners of three major development sites in the county with the aim of drafting "master plans" for the future.
The sites are Copthorne Barracks, Clive Barracks, at Tern Hill near Market Drayton, and Ironbridge Power Station.
Councillor Price has said any developments need to be mixed use and must be "sustainable".
He said: "The easy avenue for those sites would be just to go for housing which is not appropriate. We need to look at employment and other uses for the sites."
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed it is currently working on an outline planning application for the future of the site, with the intention of marketing it later this year or in early 2017.
Councillor Peter Nutting, who represents the Copthorne ward, said proposals for the site need to be "more sophisticated" than building hundreds of houses.
He said: "The last thing we need in Copthorne are houses. We are building masses of new houses on this end of the town. We need to be looking at a mixed use site with office space.
"The playing fields also need to stay as playing fields for community use.
"It could also be used by the university in a few years time as it expands and welcomes more students.
"Councillor Price is right, what we need is a master plan for this area.
"It needs to be a little bit more sophisticated than giving it to a local estate agent and putting 400 houses on it.
"We need something different in Shrewsbury now.
"The sites in the centre of the town need to be used more carefully."
When the site was initially marketed it was advertised as 16 hectares.
