First look at 360-home plan for edge of Shrewsbury

Outdoor recreation space, an all weather sports pitch and walkways and cycle paths will all be part of the proposed estate planned south of Holyhead Road in Bicton, on the outskirts of Shrewsbury.

Pictures of how the development could look have been revealed by Hollyhead Estates, a consortium of Shropshire businessmen behind the proposal. Members of the public are being urged to have their say on the plans.

The images were available to see at a consultation meeting held in the village last week, and it is hoped an outline planning application for the site between Calcott Lane and Shepherds Lane will be submitted before the end of the month.

It comes after fears were raised by residents that building hundreds of homes in the area would swamp the village.

But those behind the plans say that they want to "bring something special" to the area.

Les Stephan, one of those involved in the company, said: "We want to hear people's thoughts on the proposal. We would be most interested to know what local facilities and services residents would like the proposal to provide if it were to be approved."

He said the plans could include amenity space with walkways and cyclepaths, retaining a countryside feel.

"Some of the mature trees have bat roost potential but all of these are to be retained and incorporated into the proposed amenity walk."

"Existing internal hedgerows would act as a basis for the development of an extensive landscape structure throughout the site and around its perimeter to minimise the adverse effects on the existing landscape."

There could also be a community recreation area with for instance a multi-use games activity area while images shown to residents included a village green with a bandstand.

More than 200 people have signed a petition against the development and say Bicton does not have the infrastructure to cope with so many new homes.

There are also fears about the extra traffic that local people say would use both Calcott Lane and Shepherds Lane, both of them narrow and already know as local short cuts.

It comes as plans to build a further 15 homes to the east of Bicton Lane, are due to go before Shropshire Council's central planning committee on Thursday.

Several people who attended last week's consultation meeting at the Four Crosses pub in the village raised concerns with those behind the plans.

Dave Kilby, who lives in the village, said he was disappointed that residents had been denied the chance to put together a neighbourhood plan to set out development – something that was first mooted in 2012.