'More police needed' if new estate is built in Oswestry

The Place Partnership, which manages the estates of regional police forces says the developers of the proposals for Oswestry should put their hands in their pockets and contribute to extra policing for the town.

J Ross Developments has submitted an outline application for up to 600 homes and infrastructure on land north of the Shrewsbury Road.

Superintendent David McWilliam, who heads the Shropshire policing area, said the county had 290 staff serving 131,522 households. Mathematically this should mean that an extra 600 homes would need 1.3 extra staff.

"Where additional development is proposed we will seek to deploy additional staffing and infrastructure at the same level," he said.

"It would be complacent not to do this because, without additional support unacceptable pressure will be put on existing staff, seriously undermining our ability to meet the policing needs of this development and maintain the current level of policing to the rest of the county.

"The impacts of this development are so significant that they cannot be met without additional staff."

The Place Partnership is calling on Shropshire Council to insist on a section 106 agreement attached to any planning permission which would mean that the developer would have to agree to giving a sum towards the policing of the new estate.

Superintendent McWilliam said that some developers had sought to suggest that additional housing did not lead to increases in population despite promoting their scheme on the basis that the new houses would benefit local shops and services by attracting people to the area.

"It is a fact that population and in-migration to Shropshire is increasing.

"Like many public sector organisations West Mercia Police has seen a real terms reduction in ground funding.

"At the same time the demands placed on the police service have increased while the service has had to deal with the changing nature of crime, for example, cyber crime."