No legal challenge as council 'greatly regrets' impending Shrewsbury care village build
A town council will not be launching a legal challenge to stop controversial plans to build a large care village.
Shrewsbury Town Council says it was advised by five sets of legal experts not to seek a judicial review into a planning inspector's decision to grant permission for a nursing home and care accommodation at the Hencote estate, off Ellesmere Road.
The authority said it "greatly regrets" the fact that plans, featuring 164 units of extra care accommodation and a 75-bed care home, will now likely be built.
Council leader, Alan Mosley, said: “As instructed, group leaders met to discuss the legal advice received. Their unanimous view was that it would not be responsible to take any further action specifically on the judicial review route and have advised the town clerk accordingly. She was also of the view that no further action should be taken.
"The town council greatly regrets that it is likely that the development will now go ahead, but will rigorously scrutinise the full application details as they become available, to limit the damage to local amenities arising from the development.
"We continue to have serious concerns regarding this process and agreed to make strong representations to Shropshire Council regarding the management and processing of the application which led to the actions taken leading up to the Planning Inspector’s hearing. We will be calling on leaders at Shropshire Council to take this seriously and instigate a thorough impartial review."
The town council discussed a potential legal challenge at a meeting on Tuesday after planning permission was granted at an inquiry in January.
The plans sparked many objections and protests from people who believe if the care village is built it will ruin the Winney Hill beauty spot.
At the town council meeting a petition signed by 320 residents was handed into the meeting by protestor, Mr Ben Jephcott, urging the town council to apply for a judicial review.
He said: "This has been a shadow over our lives over the past eight years. This hillside, a valued part of our countryside and the green lungs of our town, has been gradually eaten away.
"Elected councillors never voted on this at any stage. People are deeply, deeply concerned."
