"Where can new homes be built in Bishop's Castle?" - consultation asks
Residents in Bishop's Castle are being asked where they would like new homes to be built in the town.
The town's council has prepared a draft of the Bishop’s Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan and is now seeking the public's views.
Hundreds of pages of policy documents have been prepared by the council on many issues of planning and what the town needs.
They have spent hours poring over the suitability - or otherwise of sites that could take new homes. Under the local planning process, Shropshire Council has said how many new homes are required in the area.
Now Bishop's Castle Town Council is seeking some consensus on where new homes might go, on top of the homes that have already been built.
There is a proposed requirement for 40 dwellings to be built up to the year 2038 in Bishop’s Castle through windfall development.
Councillors in the town don't think that the 40 dwellings can be delivered in ones and twos across the town. If that were to happen there would be no affordable homes because there is a threshold of 11 dwellings before developers have to add in much needed affordable homes.
The council carried out a survey which spotted a need for affordable homes in the community.
In its documents, the council says: "The Neighbourhood Development Plan takes an alternative approach and seeks to formally allocate land to meet this need. The emerging Local Plan identifies a need for an additional 40 dwellings that will be delivered through windfall development.
"This NDP will seek to formally allocate land for 40 dwellings because there is only limited scope for windfall development in Bishop’s Castle. A formal land allocation will be required to meet the identified housing requirement."
Bishop's Castle Town Council says it would like to know what the residents of the town think of the policies and proposals and welcome feedback.
The council advises visiting the website www.bishopscastletowncouncil.gov.uk to download the neighbourhood plan and the survey.
If people require a copy of any of the documents, they should phone 01588 638141 and they will be posted out.
Comments can be made on paper or online.
Responses can be sent to townclerk@bishopscastletowncouncil.gov.uk or sent to The Town Hall.
The consultation opened on February 7 and closes on March 21.
