Council under fire over 'lack of consultation' on first day of local plan hearings

The local plan will set the scene for housing, transport, economic and environmental issues over the next 16 years and is being subjected to a line-by-line examination at Shrewsbury Town Football Club over the next two weeks.

Burford resident Ian Ogley was the first to open fire. He said: "From my community's point of view there's been no consultation at all. Nobody knew anything about it. There's a complete blank in Burford."

David Turner, from Much Wenlock, said there was "very little engagement" and an "absence of awareness" plus short time frames for presentations.

"I tramped the streets for 10 days but a significant number of people missed it."

Mr Turner admitted that there had been a good turnout at an event in the town but said that there "would have been greater turnout if people knew about it."

Shropshire Council planning policy and strategy manager Eddie West, in response, said the council feels that the "consultation met the minimum requirements with no-one put at a disadvantage. We met minimum obligations."

Mr West presented a 20-page document to planning inspectors detailing all the meetings, press releases and other methods of alerting residents to the process.

He added that in an area like Shropshire, the council relies "heavily on the parishes".

"I want people to be there and hear the message and there was strong attendance."

The hearing was told that the council is not required to verify its activities but is "under a duty to communicate effectively".

Charles Green, for the Campaign to Protect Rural England's Shropshire branch, said the council had done its best with limited staff but documents had been "riddled with proofreading errors".

He added: "Still there are people who have only just heard of the local plan and how it affects them."

Mr West said the council recognised the local plan was a controversial issue but opposition had been "factored in" to the process.

Mr Green said: "Our evidence is they have heard these views and have ignored them."

Developers too are raising their concerns.

Matthew Reed QC, of Bradford Rural Estates, said the council had failed to take into account all the effects of the plan when it comes to developers' sustainability appraisals.

The Sovereign Suite at Shrewsbury Town Football Club was packed with some 40 members of the public as well as speakers who were set to raise issues on the first day.

Following introductions by planning inspector Louise Crosby the first day was set aside to decide whether the council has complied with the relevant procedural and legal requirements. When approved, the plan will set the scene for development in the county up to 2038.

Those include housing, the local economy, community facilities and infrastructure; and seeks to safeguard the environment, enable adaptation to climate change and helps to secure high-quality and accessible design.

Local planning authorities, such as Shropshire Council, have a statutory responsibility to maintain an up-to-date Local Plan, and national with the expectation this is done at least every five years. Local plans cover a wide range of strategic issues, including where thousands of new houses should be built.

Three planning inspectors have been appointed to carry out an impartial examination of the plan, Louise Crosby, Carole Dillon, and Nick Palmer.

On Wednesday the hearings will consider the development strategy.