Show some love for hillfort, the Stonehenge of the Iron Age say campaigners

Hands off Old Oswestry Hillfort (HOOOH) has led 10 years of public opposition to housing development in the hillfort’s setting.

Its campaign has included Shropshire Council’s Local Plan making and several planning applications and revisions.

Campaigners say that the latest scheme, submitted by Cameron Homes, has hardly changed at all from plans refused last year.

The plans are for 83 dwellings and HOOOH says they would be on the same incursive footprint within the hillfort’s eastern landscape.

“The proposals still conflict with heritage planning guidance and do not comply with SAMDev policy conditions for development on the OSW004 site allocation,” a spokesperson for HOOOH said.

“But Shropshire planners seem to be done with the heritage argument.”

The campaign group has pointed out that over 60 per cent of the proposed development will be in full view of the hillfort, one of several significant negative impacts on the historic setting and significance of the Scheduled Monument that must be properly addressed under current planning guidance.

“The planners are not listening to the opinion of hillfort experts and their assessment of this nationally important archaeological site. Back in 2014, 12 foremost academics of British Archaeology stated that development would substantially harm the hillfort’s setting.

“They have also not listened to the statutory heritage consultee, Historic England, which set out a ‘northern limit’ for development, designed to reduce the detrimental heritage impacts. Worse still, plans show a road spur in the north-eastern corner of the site which could signal potential for further town expansion into the hillfort’s landscape."

“And they are not listening to the public, who have submitted repeated objections and a 12,000-signature petition to oppose building on OSW004 during a decade of local planning consultations.”

“Heritage is being side-lined, and communities are being left heart-broken by a broken planning system and broken promises."

Objectors also say the site has no links to major facilities such as schools, GP surgeries, or shops.

English Heritage, the national guardian of the hillfort, has described Old Oswestry as ‘one of the greatest archaeological monuments of the nation’.

Oswestry Town Council has submitted an objection following a recent planning meeting, maintaining its longstanding opposition to development.

Campaigners launched a social media campaign on Valentine’s Day to show some love for the 3,000-year-old hillfort dubbed the Stonehenge of the Iron Age.