Church Stretton social housing dropped

Shropshire Housing Group has said it will not pursue plans to build homes of any sort on a car park at Ley Gardens and Lawley Close, a social housing estate aimed at the over 50s on the edge of Church Stretton.

The idea had been suggested to residents on the existing estate, with initial talks suggesting the space may be used to build single-bed terrace houses to act as homes for people recovering from alcohol or drug abuse or mental illness.

Neighbour Mary Montague, a resident who is not officially on the estate but has a house that borders the car park where the new development will be, had said she and those she had spoken to on the estate were worried there would not be enough support such residents.

However Shropshire Housing Group said more bungalows for the elderly were also being considered for the site, which were in high demand in Church Stretton.

Now Lee Chapman and David Evans, both Shropshire councillors for Church Stretton and Craven Arms, have said both ideas have been scrapped.

They said they had also received multiple concerns from residents on the estate, which they had taken to the housing association.

Councillor Chapman said: "I have had confirmation from the housing group that that will not go ahead.

"Both Councillor and Evans and I have taken concerns from residents to them.

"They've had further discussions and now have formally decided that they are not going to progress with any development on that site."

Vicki Coleman, speaking for Shropshire Housing Group, said the plans had not got past the point of consultation with existing residents.

She said they had been dropped not because of concerns of who might be living there, but because residents had said that they did in fact want to keep and use the car park, which they paid service charge for.