Plan for 800 village homes recommended for refusal

Controversial plans to build 800 homes on green belt land on the outskirts of a Shropshire village have been recommended for refusal.

Developers said the scheme, on 48 hectares of farmland south of Albrighton, would include a care home and secondary school and help with the county's housing need.

But there is strong local opposition, with residents arguing it would ruin the village's character and create over-development.

Shropshire Council's planning committee meets to discuss Boningdale Developments Ltd's application, for land off Patshull Road, on 16 December.

A report to the committee stated the site was wholly located in the green belt.

"Development in this location would be incompatible with the principles of sustainable development," it said, and would "result in harm to the character and appearance of the area".

It added: "Whilst it is acknowledged that the proposal offers a number of wider local community benefits beyond the site itself, these have not been identified as responding to a local need.

"It is not considered that any very special circumstances have been identified that would justify departure from planning policy."

A total of 1,157 public representations were received in response to a consultation on the plan, including from Albrighton Parish Council, Albrighton Village Action Group and Albrighton Development Action Group.

The majority were from Albrighton residents raising objections, the report said, with 28 supportive representations from a wider area between Shifnal and Bridgnorth.

The parish council "strongly objects", believing the development would significantly harm the local environment and strain local services.

According to its submission: "There is significant opposition to this development within the village. there is no evidence in their submission that the developer has listened to the local community."

The developer sought to bring "high quality homes", according to the report, and proposed two new junctions into the site.

Those in favour said housing was urgently required, the village was sustainable, with strong transport links, and an additional school would relieve pressure on those in Shifnal and Codsall.

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