Housing trust moves Oswestry to Gobowen rail link a step closer

Land to the east of a former coalyard in Gobowen has been gifted to Cambrian Heritage Railways by Wrekin Housing Trust to aid the project to recreate a rail service between the village and Oswestry.

It will be used as a car park and a footpath and cycleway.

The land has been handed over by the trust as part of its plans to turn the former coalyard into a development of 22 affordable homes. The plans have been submitted to Shropshire Council and a decision is due in March.

Six two-bedroomed bungalows, eight one-bedroomed flats, five two-bedroomed houses and three three-bedroomed homes will be built if councillors approve the scheme, and trust officials said it would address the "immediate" need for affor-dable homes in the village.

Members of the Cambrian Heritage Railways group have been campaigning for years for the rail link to be built. They have backed the housing proposal, saying they would fit in with the railway plans and allow a new platform to be built at the station.

The housing group has consulted widely on the plans for the site.

Earlier this year staff from the Wrekin Housing Trust outlined the plans to members of Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council.

And in October a consultation session was hosted by Wrekin Housing Trust.

Representatives from the housing trust as well as representatives of the Cambrian Heritage Railways attended the consultation.

The homes will be made available to local people through Shropshire Council's Homepoint system.

Roger Date, from Cambrian Heritage Railway, said: "We are delighted the application is moving forward. It meets the aspirations of everybody including the need for affordable housing in the area which is desperately needed.

"The gifting of the land will allow the car parking to be improved and allow the railway project to move forward."