Shropshire's population set to rise by 40,000

The growth will largely be down to people moving into the county, both from abroad and from other parts of the UK, according to the new figures released by the Office of National Statistics.

They also suggest that within eight years 27 per cent of the population in the Shropshire Council area will be aged 65 or over.

Surprisingly, the forecasts suggest that the Shropshire Council district will grow more rapidly than Telford & Wrekin.

The figures have sparked fears that increased housing could place more pressure on services such as doctors, schools and dentists. But others have claimed the growth will be good for the area that could attract more investment to the area.

At the moment, the population of the county is estimated to be 483,451, with 171,044 living in Telford & Wrekin, and 312,407 living in the rest of the county.

But by 2039, the population of the county will have grown to 523,327, with 184,484 of these living in Telford & Wrekin and 338,843 in the rest of Shropshire.

This would mean the population of Telford & Wrekin growing by 13,470 over the next 23 years – a rise of 7.9 per cent, or equivalent to building a new town the size of Newport.

The growth rate is predicted to be even higher in the rest of the county, with the population rising 26,436, or 8.5 per cent.

Figures relating to the period between 2014 and 2024 also suggest that there will be significant changes in the make-up of the county's population over the next few years.

They predict that the Shropshire Council area's population will increase by 4.3 per cent over the 10-year period, mainly due to people moving into the county from other parts of the UK.

Without migration, the natural population of Shropshire district would be expected to fall by 1.4 per cent over this time.

But net migration from elsewhere in the country will increase the population by 5.3 per cent, and overseas immigration will add a further 0.4 per cent. It also points to an ageing population with 27 per cent of residents to be over the age of 65 by 2024.

In Telford & Wrekin the change in the make-up of the population looks set to be more pronounced. Overall population growth is projected at 4.4 per cent between 2014 and 2024, this masks significant movement both in and out of the borough.

Immigrants from overseas are expected to add 1.5 per cent to the population over that period, but this will largely be offset by 1.2 per cent of locals moving to other parts of the UK. The population of residents over the age of 65 is expected to be 19.4 per cent by 2024.

Councillor Kevin Turley of Shifnal Town Council said managing the demand for new housing in the town was challenging because of the impact it was having on doctors and schools.

But Councillor Shaun Davies, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said the growth should be seen as "positive".