Charlie, 9, and Hattie, 7, lead fight to save Bridgnorth park from housing
A young brother and sister from Bridgnorth are doing their bit to fight against plans that could see green belt land used for housing and businesses.
Charlie and Hattie Thomas, who are nine and seven years old respectively, have been gathering signatures for a petition after becoming concerned that Shropshire Council plans for hundreds of new houses could see land at Stanmore Country Park given over for development.
The pair, who live close to the park, and are worried about the trees being cut down, and have more than 200 signatures for their petition so far.
It comes in response to Shropshire Council plans which have set out areas of the county for development up until 2036.
In its proposals for Bridgnorth, the council has described the need for nearly 900 more houses and 16 hectares of employment land.
The plan, which was shown to residents of the town last week, suggests building a mixed-use ‘garden settlement’ on the 'existing urban fabric of the former RAF Stanmore'.
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It also describes a proposal for the release of green belt land, for the 'long term sustainable development of the town'.
Charlie explained that he would not want to see the park damaged by the need for houses.
He said: "At the top of the petition I wrote 'We the undersigned believe it would be wrong to cut down a wildlife reserve to build houses.
"At school I just brought them into the classroom and stood up in front of them and said about the forest."
Charlie's father, Patrick, said many Bridgnorth residents had been surprised by the scale of the plans to develop in the town.
He said: "I think people are a little overawed by the scale of what they are planning rather than anything else.
"It is hundreds and hundreds of homes and effectively housing from here to Bridgnorth."
He added: "I think people are against it but specifically people like Charlie just said 'why would you want to cut down trees to build houses as opposed to having it on farming land?'."
