Controversial Shrewsbury homes plan set to go ahead
More than 400 homes could be built in the north of Shrewsbury, after council planning officers swatted away residents concerns over traffic and a lack of local infrastructure to support the development.
More than a hundred objections were received in response to proposals first put forward by Barwood Development Securities in 2022, which would see up to 450 homes built near Ellesmere Road in the Greenfields area of the town.
The 54-acre site sits along one of the most congested routes into Shrewsbury’s cramped medieval town centre, with residents concerns about future residents adding to long rush hour queues amplified by the scrapping of the town’s North West Relief Road project last year.
But after three years of wrangling, Shropshire Council’s planning department have recommended approval for the scheme ahead of a meeting of its planning committee on 17 February – after the council’s traffic modelling apparently showed that the development could go ahead without having a significant impact on the transport network.
The recommendation flies in the face of a strong objection from Shrewsbury Town Council, who said there were “not enough schools, doctors and local transport” for an extra 1,000 or so residents.
Their concerns were echoed by local residents via the council’s planning portal, one of whom said the area was being “steamrolled” into accepting new development proposals.
“There is not enough infrastructure in this area to cope with the building of another development no matter how much money is offered to the council,” they wrote.
“The local infant/primary school is over subscribed with classrooms too small for the children already there and no secondary school. The dentist and doctors are also all full to bursting. There are no where near enough amenities.”
The council has demanded a £1.9m contribution from the developer to create extra primary school spaces at two nearby primary schools, which the authority admits are “full, and likely to remain so”.
A further £745,000 will be requested to support healthcare services in the area.
The site was allocated in the authority’s now scrapped emerging local plan, which was set aside last year after government planning inspectors ruled it was “unsound”. Work is expected to start on a new local plan this year, but in the meantime Shropshire Council is unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply, tilting the balance for large housing schemes in favour of approval.
“The delivery of up to 450 dwellings, adjacent to Shrewsbury, where there is a significant shortfall in the supply of housing land carries very substantial weight,” said the report from the council’s planning team.
“This contribution would notably assist in meeting Shropshire’s housing requirement and reducing the current shortfall.”
The scheme will be decided by a meeting of Shropshire Council’s Northern Planning Committee on 17 February.
Documents and plans relating to the application can be found via Shropshire Council’s planning portal using reference: 22/01432/OUT.
