Decision on 10,000 Shropshire homes sites put back until next spring
A decision on whether three major Shropshire sites will be suggested as development areas for thousands of homes will not be taken until next spring, it has been revealed.
Clive Barracks, Ironbridge Power Station and land at Tong, have all been put forward to Shropshire Council as development sites in the authority's local plan review.
The plan is looking to earmark sites for the development of around 10,000 houses in the county.
While recommendations on preferred sites in the county's market towns and individual community hubs – made up of smaller villages – are expected in October, the quantity of work to assess the larger sites means those decisions are expected in spring 2019.
Adrian Cooper, Shropshire Council's planning policy and strategy manager, said that they would be taking the time to make sure all aspects of the proposed sites are fully considered.
He said: "We are putting it back in that way in order to make sure we can deal with it properly and get all the relevant information needed to take a decision on whether those things are appropriate."
The three sites could represent the county's largest individual development projects, although they are likely to take many years to complete.
The timescale means their contribution to housing targets may be part of future local development plans for the county.
Mr Cooper also said that none of the sites have been included in current assessments of housing and employment levels for the county.
The Tong submission, which goes under the title of Monarch's Way, suggests creating up to 10,000 homes in green belt land.
The idea has already been met with considerable opposition from local residents.
It is understood that both Clive Barracks and Ironbridge Power Station are also the focus of suggestions to build more housing.
Shropshire Council's cabinet is next week expected to approve the next stage of its local plan review, which will see more consultation ahead of the publication of preferred candidate sites in October.
The cabinet report states that people who have responded to the consultation on changes for council's development plan have raised concerns about whether the large developments would be included in the authority's targets for homes.
It states: "An explanation of the status and contribution of ‘strategic sites’ such as Ironbridge Power Station and any ‘Garden Villages’ was requested, in particular whether housing and employment provided on these sites will be part of, or in addition to the levels for the rural area."
