Village's hopes for railway station could be dashed as housing estate recommended for refusal

Villagers have backed Shingler Homes’ Baschurch development to the hilt after the developer promised land to be ring-fenced for a train station car park.

More than 130 comments have been made on the planning application, with the vast majority in support of the development.

And hundreds turned out in support of the plan at a meeting at The Corbet School in the summer, with North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan describing this as a “now or never” chance to bring a train station back to the area.

However, at that meeting, Shropshire Council’s former infrastructure portfolio holder Councillor Dean Carroll warned that without strong backing from residents, the planning committee would refuse 48-home estate on the grounds of it not falling within the Local Plan development boundary.

The plans, which were submitted at the end of August this year, are to be discussed at a northern planning committee meeting on January 10, and have been recommended for refusal.

A report prepared by Tracy Darke, the council’s assistant director of economy and place, said: “The site is not located within a defined development boundary and neither is it an allocated site for residential development.

“The location of the proposed development is therefore contrary to the policies of the Core Strategy and the Council’s SAMDev plan which is the starting point for decision making in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework. Whilst the scheme proposes a number of benefits which includes the over provision of affordable housing, over provision of open space and the provision of land for a station car park, these are not considered to outweigh the clear conflict with both adopted and emerging planning policy in respect of its countryside location.

“Furthermore, there is no under supply of homes in the Community Hub that would justify a departure from the relevant settlement policies of the Local Plan.

“It is considered by officers that the competing factors are finely balanced, however it is officers’ view that the material considerations, do not outweigh the conflict with the development plan and therefore the application is recommended for refusal.”

There were more than 10 objectors to the proposal, with people raising concerns including heavy traffic on Station Road, Baschurch becoming overcrowded and the new train station issue being “manipulated to stir up enthusiasm” for the development.

The disused station has been closed for several decades but calls have been mounting for it to reopen, with hundreds of people signing a petition last year asking Shropshire Council to fund a new feasibility study.

The former station, now known as Station House, is privately owned and in residential use, meaning a new station would need to be built in order to get the village reinstated as a stop on the Shrewsbury-Chester line.

The development would be made up of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, with 10 being “affordable” properties.

To view the report visit bit.ly/3GbKcWi. To view the planning application, visit bit.ly/3FPMyZA