Hearings to examine council's housing strategy

Three weeks of hearing to decide if a council's plan for housing in its area can remain in place, are due to start from Tuesday.

Planning inspectors are due to hear from spokespeople for Telford and Wrekin Council, developers and campaigners.

They will then go away to decide if the authority's local plan has the power to control housebuilding in the area.

Some developers have argued it does not include enough land to support neighbouring authorities, which have a shortage of development land.

If Telford and Wrekin Council's local plan is found to be invalid then it will be more difficult for the authority to reject planning applications without a framework of policies in place.

Shropshire Council's local plan had to be withdrawn last year following criticisms from inspectors.

The local plan also includes policies for jobs, businesses and industry, for high streets, market towns, on the need for vital infrastructure and for protecting green spaces while tackling climate change.

It suggests land around Muxton, Bratton and Wheat Leasows would be suitable for 8,000 new homes, but the council is under pressure to provide homes for people in the Black Country and Birmingham.

Some developers have questioned whether councils target of 153 homes each year to meet this need is enough.

But Telford and Wrekin Council's approach has been supported by councils in the Black Country.

The hearing will also consider issues such as the timescale of the local plan and the overall housing targets.

Planning inspectors Mike Worden and Catherine Carpenter are due to open the hearings at Meeting Point House in Telford on Tuesday.

Once the hearing has concluded, it could take a year for the inspectors to make their ruling.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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