Plans for 84 homes in north Shropshire

An application has been submitted to build 70 homes on a site off Teal Drive in Ellesmere as well as a proposal to build 14 homes in Hodnet, near Market Drayton.

And with Ellesmere's projected need for housing lying somewhere between 500 to 1,000 new homes by 2026, developers Les Stephan Planning Ltd said that the site was also perfect for future development.

But town councillors have said that this may not be the case.

Mayor Alan Clarke said: "This site was taken out of the SAMDev allocation and is going to be relocated by the 250 houses in the Ellesmere Wharf development.

"The are a number of problems with that site and that is why it was taken out.

"Rather than having a few different sites of about 70 houses, we thought it would be best to move them all into the one, an idea which has been received quite well by the public.

"This way they are closer to amenities and benefit from the infrastructure.

"I think that as the site has been looked at and plans relocated, the likelihood is that it would be rejected by councillors."

But developers have said in their planning applications that to move all the housing allocation to one site would risk "holding the house building industry to ransom" and added that such a move could have a negative effect on development within the town.

They also stated that creating such a large development along the canalside would mean a "substantial change" and would impact on the environmental quality of the area.

In a separate application for 14 homes in Hodnet, developers Nigel Thorns Planning Consultancy Ltd say that they are seeking to build a mix of two storey homes and bungalows off Drayton Road.

The scheme also includes two affordable homes.

Just outside the current development boundary, the site lies on greenfield land and the proposals include providing a footpath link to Wollerton.

Developers have said that this is a key issue in the village and that residents hope to see footpaths around the area improved.

Members of Hodnet Parish Council did not wish to discuss the plans before the next council meeting on August 14 at Lyon Hall , which statrts at 7.30pm.

Proposals for the Ellesmere development are set to be discussed at the council meeting on September 1 at the Town Hall ,starting at 7.20pm.