Local plan: Shropshire Council expects increase in 'speculative' proposals but stresses 'it is not a total free for all'

The development - coupled with a major increase in government housing targets for the authority, has cast significant uncertainty over the future for the area, and what communities can expect in terms of fresh housing proposals.

December's Government pledge to build 1.5 million new houses by the end of the parliament included a significant increase for the Shropshire Council area, from 1,069 to 1,990 a year.

That change meant Shropshire Council no longer has what is called a five-year-land supply and means that the area will have to provide significantly more homes than it is currently.

Two of Shropshire Council's leading planning officials have now given their reaction to the developments, outlining what happens next, and what it means for communities and decisions on planning applications.

Eddie West, Shropshire Council's Planning Policy and Strategy Manager, and Andy Wigley, the authority's Policy and Environment Service Manager, both said that the combination of the withdrawal of the plan, and increased housing targets will mean more 'speculative' applications.

They added that government changes to decision making on green belt land are also likely to lead to more proposals for housing in those previously protected areas.

Mr West said: "In effect when you don't have a five year land supply and your current plan, or your current policies in your adopted plan are deemed not up to date, that is a definite benefit for the development industry in approaching the council for speculative proposals.

"It is an opportunity for sites not in the adopted plan to seek approval."

But Mr Wigley stressed it will not be a "total free for all", adding: "It is about sustainable development, not all development."

He said: "Just because you are receiving speculative applications does not mean the council rubber stamps approval for them."

They explained that applications would now be decided on a case by case basis, using the council's previously adopted local plan, policies from the withdrawn plan, and the government's fresh guidance, with a presumption in favour of 'sustainable development'.

Elaborating on the situation Mr West said: "As a result of the significant increase in housing need in Shropshire resulting from the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in December 2024, the council cannot currently demonstrate a five year housing land supply.

"As such, the council will need to apply the NPPF’s ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ to the assessment of new planning applications for housing development.

"Whilst the draft Local Plan can no longer proceed to adoption, the council’s cabinet has agreed to give material weight to the evidence base material supporting the plan.

"In practice this means that where relevant, the council can refer to specific parts of evidence in reaching decisions on planning applications, including determining if a proposal represents a sustainable development.

"But the council will also need to consider a range of other ‘material considerations’ including the contents of the NPPF."

Mr West said many councils would be experiencing similar situations regarding their five-year-land supply following the government changes.

He said: "The consequences of the very significant uplift in housing need that the council experienced in December - which other councils experienced as well, would have resulted in many councils being not able to demonstrate a five-year-land supply - pretty much overnight at that point."

Mr West also confirmed that the council will not be seeking to put together a replacement for the withdrawn local plan - and will instead move on to working on the next plan, which covers 2024 to 2045.

The work on that plan begins later this year, with intentions to adopt it in mid-2028.

One unavoidable factor is that the new plan will need to include significantly more housing sites for the area, due to the government's increase in housing requirement.