‘Don’t threaten us!’ – Council rejects 800-home scheme after appeal vow

Boningale Homes has vowed to fight on after its proposals to expand the village of Albrighton by up to 40% were thrown out by planners this afternoon (16 December).

The outline scheme on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border proposed a mixed-use development also set to include an 80-room care home, a secondary school, and a local centre for 120 acres of land to the south-west of the village.

Councillors on Shropshire Council’s south planning committee were left fuming after the developer issued a statement during the run-up to the meeting, stating its intention to take the case to appeal in the event of a refusal.

But the proposals are now set to become the highest-profile test yet for the authority’s ability to defend its planning decisions following the collapse of its emerging local plan in May.

The council is currently unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply for housing and will not start work on a new local plan until January, after the Planning Inspectorate declared the authority’s emerging document “unsound” – a decision which has tilted the balance in favour of housing development in the Green Belt on sites which would normally be regarded as unsuitable.

How heavily in favour will now be put to the test on a larger scale, with the developer re-affirming its intention to take the case to the planning inspectorate in the new year following the refusal.

Government planning inspectors gave the go-ahead for another Boningale Homes development of 70 homes in open countryside near Tilstock last week, after deciding the scheme would help to alleviate the council’s housing land supply issue, also in the face of heavy local opposition.

The village of Albrighton currently has around 4,500 residents, around 3,700 of whom had signed a petition against the proposals, the scheme’s local objectors having formed an organisation to fight off the proposals known as Albrighton Development Action Group (ADAG).

ADAG said the scheme was an “overdevelopment” which would split the town in two if given the go-ahead, arguing that the pressure an extra 800 homes would create on local services made the scheme “unviable”.

In response, Boningale Homes said their scheme would address Shropshire’s housing land supply shortfall, which last month was estimated to be 3.81 years by the Planning Inspectorate.

In the run-up to the meeting, the developer confirmed it would go ahead with an appeal if the committee opted to refuse the scheme, urging the committee to consider the “considerable” cost of an unsuccessful appeal.

“Shropshire Council faces a severe housing land supply challenge and is unable to demonstrate sufficient land to meet the housing requirements set out by Government,” said a spokesperson.

“The council will be aware of the numerous benefits the scheme proposes for Albrighton and the wider community which carry substantial weight in planning policy. We strongly believe these vital benefits – including a secondary school, care home, local centre and a new GP surgery – will not be delivered without private investment.

“This proposal has prompted a wide range of views and we have carefully considered feedback in the development of our planning application. We firmly believe our proposals would help to make Albrighton a more sustainable and vibrant place to live for generations to come.

“We would urge members to seriously consider the huge infrastructure investment this scheme proposes along with the considerable financial undertaking of defending any refusal at appeal.”

That implication was not greatly appreciated by the council’s committee, with chair Cllr Andy Boddington challenging Boningale to make good on their threat – and others members accusing the developer of attempting to “bully” the council into approving the scheme.

The committee voted unanimously to turn down the proposals.

After the decision, the developer expressed their “disappointment”, while re-affirming their intention to appeal.

“The decision by today’s committee members undoubtedly puts pressure on other settlements to accommodate additional housing, with Albrighton, once again, being denied the opportunity to grow sustainably and take its fair share of Shropshire’s housing requirement,” they added.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the ADAG Albrighton residents group expressed their delight, describing the scheme as a “profit-driven, speculative house building plan” which was unsuitable for the village.

“Albrighton came out in unprecedented and overwhelming opposition, with 3,734 residents signing a petition and over 1,100 objections registered on the planning portal,” they said.

“ADAG is pleased that Shropshire Council has not been swayed by Boningale Homes’ threats that they will take this to appeal or the High Court – and the decision clearly demonstrates that this scheme is unsustainable and inappropriate.

“We will continue to fight to protect our green belt, whether it is at appeal or against other misguided plans that come forward. “

Plans and documents relating to the application can be found on Shropshire Council’s planning portal under reference: 24/02108/OUT