Bridgnorth councillors to recommend Stanmore development after contentious meeting
Bridgnorth councillors voted to recommend housing development at Stanmore proceeding over a rival bid at Tasley in a contentious meeting last night.
In the two-hour town council meeting, which was attended online by 40 people, councillors weighed up the proposals for the two sites and whether they should indicate their preference to Shropshire Council.
The Taylor Wimpey scheme at Tasley is to build 1,050 homes and a business site of at least 16 hectares on land south of the A458 and west of the B4364 Ludlow Road, against the Stanmore Consortium's garden village proposal to build 850 homes and a 28-hectare business site on green belt land in Stanmore up until 2036, and 650 more homes post 2036.
The projects are being promoted as part of Shropshire Council's Local Plan Review, and officers at the authority will make a decision on which one to give the go ahead to on July 6.
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A vote was first taken on whether councillors should make any recommendation at all. Councillors narrowly voted in favour by seven to six, with two abstaining.
Then a vote to recommend Stanmore as the preferred site was carried out - six voted for, two voted against and seven abstained, so the motion was carried. A further vote to recommend Tasley had zero votes for from councillors, 10 against and four abstentions.
A recommendation letter will now be sent to Shropshire Council in favour of the Stanmore site, but with several caveats.
Councillors raised issues including the probability that Covid-19 is likely to drastically slow growth, meaning less of a need for vast developments, the lack of information and consultation on the Tasley proposal, and the lack of proof of "extenuating circumstances" for building on greenbelt land at Stanmore. Concerns were also noted that should they not make a recommendation, the council may struggle to get its voice heard on the issue in the future.
Some councillors suggested they felt railroaded into a decision, and Connie Baines suggested that residents would be "unremitting in their condemnation" if they made a recommendation one way or the other.
Councillor Julia Buckley argued that businesses in Stanmore are struggling and jobs are disappearing, and whereas Bridgnorth was unlikely to require a development of such magnitude before the Covid-19 crisis, it's "almost certain" it won't now.
She said: "We are not going to see this huge growth because of Covid-19. Residents want smaller sites and for us to develop infrastructure - footpaths, cyclepaths and bus stops. I think by recommending one or the other all we're going to do is upset one half of the town."
Councillor Karen Sawbridge insisted Tasley should be thrown out, and felt developers Taylor Wimpey went about their proposal in an "underhanded" way.
She said: "I can't believe we've been asked to seriously consider Tasley. It's a last minute application. They have done it in an underhanded way when people don't have access to a normal way of life. I'm not saying I'm in favour of Stanmore in its current form, but I want Tasley thrown out. I'm prepared to consider Stanmore but they need to tell us why they need all these houses.
"We've got to stand strong and proud and tell Shropshire Council this is our town and we should be in control. Not Shropshire Council."
Councillor Ron Whittle urged councillors not to sit on the fence, or it could cost them influence over the project in the future. He said: "I do believe we need to make a decision tonight. If we don't, we already know that Shropshire Council officers are minded to recommend the preferred option of Tasley without any consultation.
"If we don't make a recommendation it will be extremely difficult to challenge that decision. I agree that the Stanmore development should be made on a much smaller scale."
