Find out where election candidates stand on plans to build 800 homes in Albrighton
All six candidates contesting a Shropshire constituency at the General Election have voiced their opposition to plans to build hundreds of homes in a village.
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In March, Boningale Homes announced it was to submit plans to build 800 homes in Albrighton.
The proposal will see the houses built on 56 hectares of green belt between Newhouse Lane and Cross Road.
The move sparked a campaign group the Albrighton Village Action Group (AVAG).
Now all six candidates contesting The Wrekin constituency have thrown their support behind the AVAG and its campaign to fight the development being proposed by Boningale Homes.
Mark Pritchard (Conservative), Roh Yakobi (Labour), Anthony Lowe (Liberal Democrats), Richard Nicholas Leppington (Reform UK), Pat McCarthy (Green Party) and Chris Shipley (Independent) have all voiced concerns about the proposals that will increase the size of the historic village by more than 50 per cent.
To date, more than 3,600 people have signed a petition against the Boningale development, and a public meeting saw hundreds attend to voice their opposition to the plans.
Claire Lakin, spokesperson for the Albrighton Village Action Group, said: “This is a development that will destroy 56 hectares of precious green belt forever, increase traffic levels massively, put even greater strain on stretched local services and, ultimately, turn our village into a town.”
Her concerns have now received the support from all six Wrekin candidates.
Mr Pritchard said: “The scale and siting of this proposed development is completely inappropriate. Albrighton’s green belt is precious, it must be protected, and I will fight these developer-led proposals all the way. They are not in the Shropshire Local Plan and should be refused.”
Mr Yakobi added: “In my opinion the attempt by Boningale Homes to build on good farm quality land in the green belt near Albrighton should not be included in the Local Plan for Shropshire.”
Mr Lowe said the plan “would dwarf the existing village of Albrighton.
“I am not surprised that existing residents are in uproar, and I fully support them in their endeavours to squash this speculative scheme,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr McCarthy said their party would set “viability levels” for development.
“And Greens will take back the power of building control from developers and invest in publicly accountable building inspectors and building control officers,” he added.
Mr Shipley also said he was “against it”, adding: “We should look to develop brownfield sites first.”
His views were echoed by Mr Leppington who said: “I can confirm that I am opposed to the proposed Boningale Homes development in Albrighton. I am horrified at the scale of envisaged housebuilding throughout the entire Wrekin constituency.”
Boningale Homes said there was a housing need in Shropshire, and its plans would include infrastructure such as a doctor's surgery, a new secondary school, a care home and a new supermarket.
It added that 20 per cent of the development will be “affordable” with jobs created and “£64 million value added to the Shropshire economy each year”.