Could controversial 800 homes Green Belt plan be set for refusal? Planning agents' e-mail unveils concerns

Boningale Homes has been seeking permission to develop a site to the south of Albrighton, on Green Belt land.

The proposal, which has attracted huge levels of local opposition, includes 800 homes, a potential secondary school, as well as a care home and 'local centre'.

But Boningale Homes' planning agents' concerns over the fate of the proposal have been revealed in an e-mail to Shropshire Council - which will make the decision on whether the scheme goes ahead.

Writing to the council on November 15, Marrons Planning says it has been told the application will be recommended for refusal.

Despite the details in the e-mail Shropshire Council has not actually published a public recommendation for the application, so its position is not clear.

The e-mail from Marrons Planning expresses surprise at the situation and warns of the intention to appeal the decision.

It says it is keen to work with the council before the application goes to committee to address reasons for refusal.

It also highlights the council's difficulties over its position in relation to its local plan - with hearings into the vital policy last month abruptly halted due to 'serious soundness concerns' from inspectors.

Issues with the local plan could have serious ramifications for which applications Shropshire Council is able to reject, although the situation will only become clear when inspectors deliver their detailed reasons for cancelling the hearings.

The email from Marrons Planning states: "We appreciate your confirmation of the direction of travel with regard to the application, although admittedly I am surprised that you have confirmed that the recommendation will be to refuse the application rather than suggesting that is your current consideration of the application – particularly given that by the time of any planning committee, both national and local policy could or indeed will imminently be in a fundamentally different position."

It also urges the council to engage over the reasons for its opposition to the proposal in time to address them before the meeting.

It states: "As I am sure you can appreciate, if the recommendation is to refuse, in complete anticipation that the southern planning committee will agree with this recommendation and refuse the application, we are keen to work with the council up until determination to address any technical matters so as to avoid unnecessary reasons for refusal.

"It will be of no surprise to the council that the applicant will be appealing any refusal, particularly given the significant change in national policy and what we expect to be a situation where the Council do not have an up-to-date Local Plan and a very significant shortfall in housing land supply."

The planning agents also acknowledge the local opposition to the plans and outline they expect any inquiry into the proposal to last at least two weeks.

It says the agents would be keen to 'work proactively' with the council to address as many issues as possible prior to any inquiry.

The e-mail states: "Given the scale of the proposed development and indeed the site's location within the Green Belt, the local opposition and matters pertaining to housing land supply, we already expect that an inquiry will need to be scheduled for at least two full weeks, if not three weeks.

"So as to avoid unnecessary costs both in terms of financial outlay and resourcing for all parties, it is clearly of benefit for all parties to work together over the coming weeks to address as much through this application as is possible.

"The applicant and consultant team are very eager to work proactively with the council to do this and once again extend an invitation to discuss the application with you via a teams or in-person meeting."

Shropshire Council's Southern Planning Committee is set to meet on December 17.