Parish council says Shropshire's housing plan will 'be seriously destructive'
A village has said that if Shropshire Council continues its plans for a garden village in Tasley, it will be "seriously destructive for Morville, Bridgnorth and Much Wenlock".
The warning from Morville Parish Council comes as Shropshire Council revealed on Thursday its long-awaited reply to planning inspectors carrying out an examination of its Local Development Plan (LDP) – the document that sets out housing and development plans for every town and village in the Shropshire Council area.
The response, which if approved by the authority's cabinet next Wednesday, will be sent to the government's planning inspector for consideration.
The document says the council will not be adding any new housing or development sites to its plans, but will be building 30,800 homes up to 2038, including a contribution of 1,500 for councils in the Black Country.
To meet the this unmet housing needs for the neighbouring Black Country authority, Shropshire Council plans to build 1,050 homes in the Tasley Garden Village at Bridgnorth.
However, nearby Morville Parish Council said this proposal will be a disaster for the village and other local towns.
Steve McDermott, Chairman of Morville Parish Council said: "There are numerous brownfield sites in the Black Country that could and should be developed before hundreds of acres of good quality agricultural land are sacrificed.
The consequences of this proposal will be seriously destructive for Morville, Bridgnorth and Much Wenlock."
He added: "Some people they don't like the idea of having a huge influx of people from the Black Country come to the area, and I understand that, but this is a location that shouldn't really be built on as it is agricultural land.
"There is no demonstrable local need for these houses and we are determined to not let it pass unopposed."
He said the proposed new homes would only add to the current traffic woes in the area, especially around Much Wenlock.
Shropshire Council said the planning inspector may recommend a further public consultation exercise where objections can be raised to its plans, and that “The next stage of the process includes a second stage of hearings, followed by the Inspector’s Report likely to be issued in Spring 2024".
