Hundreds to protest over homes plan

Hundreds of residents are to hold a protest against controversial moves to build homes in a village near Whitchurch. The Save Prees Action Group has called a meeting in Prees.

The group has called a meeting against proposals for 25 homes on Whitebrook Meadow on Tuesday night.

The plans were thrown out earlier this year by the former North Shropshire District Council, but the Bromford Housing Group has now launched an appeal against the decision.

Sarah Adams, from the SPAG group, said members had received letters informing them of the appeal, which would be carried out through written representation and that they were disappointed because they wanted to have their say.

She said at the time the application was first lodged, more than 400 people objected to the homes, on the grounds they could not be secured for local people and would bring a large influx of people into the area.

Miss Adams said she expected hundreds of people to turn out at the meeting at Prees Cricket and Recreation Club.

The SPAG group would be staging a protest with placards and banners outside before the meeting starts at 7.30pm.

"We had the letters about two weeks ago telling us it would be a written appeal, but planning policy says if there is significant opposition at the initial hearing stage and more than 10 per cent of those it affects object, it should go to a full hearing and not a written process."

Mike Clarke, director of the Shropshire Rural Housing Association, said today the Bromford Housing Group development was being taken over by his organisation.