Final consultation to begin on future development in Shropshire, despite calls to delay the process

The authority's cabinet approved the latest pre-submission version of its local plan, which will now go out for a seven-week consultation, at a meeting yesterday despite numerous councillors suggesting the process should be "stalled" or "extended".

The proposals include developments for nearly all towns and villages across the county, and while some controversial sites have been included, others such as plans for a 3,000-home garden village on green belt land off Junction 3 of the M54 have been dropped.

It also includes major plans for the former Ironbridge Power Station and Tern Hill Barracks, as well as Tasley Garden Village (TGV) near Bridgnorth.

The meeting began with questions from residents, community organisations, parish councils and cabinet members, whose concerns ranged from the release of green belt land to the lack of evidence regarding highways improvements.

Councillors fought their own corner, with particular focus centring around plans for 1,050 homes and a large business site as part of the TGV.

Councillors Christian Lea and Tina Woodward, who represent Bridgnorth East & Astley Abbotts and Alveley & Claverley respectively, said they were concerned over how the A442 and rural road network would cope with thousands of extra vehicles.

Councillor Kevin Turley, who represents Shifnal North on Shropshire Council, asked the cabinet to extend the final consultation on the local plan from seven weeks to 12 in light of the coronavirus pandemic and upcoming Christmas holiday.

Councillor Turley said: "With the lockdown, coronavirus pandemic and everything else, it's been discussed how we're looking to do the minimum and add a week to the consultation period.

"I would like to formally ask the cabinet to extend this to a 12-week period."

Councillor Turley added that the council had previously held longer consultations over other affairs such as funding.

"This is something much closer to home," he said. "These are towns and villages within our own communities and we should give them a greater chance to air their views."

Charles Green, chairman of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), and Councillor David Turner, who represents Much Wenlock on Shropshire Council, also suggested the process could be delayed.

In response, Councillor Robert Macey, cabinet member for housing and strategic planning, said: "Members are content the pre-submission regulation 19 version of the local plan has met the standards expected and has not been a rushed process.

"The consultation period proposed is in excess of the minimum requirement. This allows for an additional week for closures at Christmas and is considered sufficient.

"We've done the extended consultation and officers have said the plan is sound looking at the evidence they've got.

"We've got this final stage of consultation to go through and we can consider those responses before we move forward bringing it to full council, so I can't agree with pausing the process at this stage."

Councillor Macey added that delaying the local plan process could see the ability of the council to control the county's growth "compromised", and leave it with "double the number of houses" if left up to central government in the future.

The cabinet also agreed to accept up to 30 hectares of employment need as well as 1,500 houses from the Association of Black Country Authorities (ABCA) as part of its "legal duty to co-operate".

Following the seven-week consultation, the local plan is set to go before Shropshire Council in March 2021 for approval before it is sent to the planning inspectorate.