Blueprint for 10,000 new homes approved by Shropshire Council
A blueprint identifying where more than 10,000 homes could be built in Shropshire has been given the thumbs-up by council leaders.
The updated Local Plan 2016-2036 went before Shropshire Council's cabinet yesterday. It sets out 70 sites which could be developed over the next two decades.
The authority's review has identified the need for an additional 10,250 houses and 300 hectares of employment land over that period.
Councillors voted in favour of the document, and it will go out to public consultation at the end of the month.
It includes controversial proposals to develop greenbelt land in the east of the county, an 850-home 'garden village' in Bridgnorth, a new community on the outskirts of Oswestry and more than 8,000 homes for Shrewsbury.
Shropshire Council says Shrewsbury has a 'particularly important' role to play in delivering the housing supply and supporting economic growth.
Nearly a third of all housing over the next 20 years will be built in the county town.
Officers have pinpointed 100 acres of land between Mytton Oak Road and Hanwood Road as the preferred location for a large chunk of the housing.
The review says it is a "significant development opportunity" for the town and could take about 1,200 homes.
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The total site would include a mix of uses including residential development, commercial land, leisure and retail uses providing it would not impact on the town centre.
A number of smaller community hubs have also been identified for development, including Gobowen, Clive, Prees and Bayston Hill.
However, Councillor Joyce Barrow who represents the St Oswald ward said she has concerns that Trefonen has been named as a community hub and has therefore been earmarked for 55 extra homes.
"We have some services including a mobile library, albeit it it doesn't come very often," she said. "But what if that stops and the village shop shuts? Will it then be re-looked at?"
Adrian Cooper, planning policy and strategy manager at Shropshire Council, said he hopes this will not lead to a "downgrade" in local services in rural villages.
He added: "I hope there is not a move to downgrade local services in response to this. That would be a very unfortunate outcome and something we do not want to see.
"It's really important we get this right so this is why there has been some setbacks and it's taken such a long time to put together."
