Bid to protect Ironbridge Gorge from development that could risk its World Heritage Site status
Ironbridge Gorge must be protected from development that could risk it being stripped of World Heritage Site status, a new report has warned.
Modern buildings and the loss of green space are issues that could place the unique character of the historic River Severn attraction under threat.
Councillors are set to adopt a planning document to protect the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site and its heritage status.
The document will be provide ‘locally distinctive planning guidance to help protect the gorge and support sustainable development’.
The supplementary planning document will be considered by the Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet on Thursday and has been recommended to be approved and adopted.
Unesco awarded the gorge World Heritage Site status in 1986 in recognition of the area's record of innovation during the Industrial Revolution.
The report to cabinet says that Ironbridge attracted around one million people last year and generates an estimated £43 million for the borough’s economy.
The area is also considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ due to its historical sites, landscape, setting of the gorge and the social history of the area.
