Transport infrastructure must grow in line with the number of new homes planned for borough

The borough council will start consulting residents about their updated Local Plan this week – which includes proposals to build 8,800 extra homes by 2040.

As part of plans three ‘sustainable urban expansion’ sites are being considered near Muxton, Shawbirch and Wheat Leasowes.

The ‘urban expansion’ sites have been earmarked to contain a combined 7,900 homes.

The Local Plan which runs between 2020 and 2040 is updated every five years and approved by a government planning inspector. The council say that half of the homes required in the next 20 years have already received planning permission.

“Proposed site allocations reflect the rebalancing of growth from south of the borough, where much of the current housing land being built out is located to the north of borough,” says the updated Local Plan.

Newport has already had 1,000 homes completed or with planning permission and another 517 homes have been proposed in the updated plan.

There are also 28 hectares of land earmarked for commercial development in and around the market town.

Liberal Democrat group leader on Telford & Wrekin Council, Bill Tomlinson, raised his concerns about the proposed housing developments at last week’s cabinet meeting.

He is concerned that the road network will struggling to cope with the extra demand and says that bus services are ‘inadequate’ in the areas earmarked for development.

“Many of the major new sites are in locations without easy access to a railway station and where existing roads are already at capacity such as Admaston, Shawbirch and around Muxton and Newport,” said Councillor Tomlinson.

“Bus services are also inadequate in all of these areas. Many new residents will have little choice but to commute by car on already clogged up roads, increasing our borough’s carbon emissions.”

Councillor Kim Tonks, ward member for Admaston, has urged the council to select sites with ‘better transport infrastructure’.

She added: “Residents will be looking for assurances that new housing will not further increase congestion on local roads, along with the associated air pollution.

“Paying lip service is not enough. The council needs to select sites with better transport infrastructure or radically improve infrastructure at the selected sites before new houses are built.”

The council state that there is ‘flexibility’ in the consultation process to adjust sites proposed.

Richard Overton, cabinet member for homes, has urged people to take part in the consultation process and says that more land has been included in the draft Local Plan than is required.

“We want to listen to what people’s views are so we can put forward a robust plan that meets the requirements that we’ve got to meet,” he said.

“It’s not just about people moving here, but how we grow old here as well as bringing our families up here and what their needs are for the future.

“If people don’t feed in then we have to make those decisions ourselves. We think it’s better if people feed in and let us have their views.”

The 11-week consultation starts on Wednesday and is planned to end on January 12, 2024. To sign up for email updates for the Local Plan go to telfordandwrekinlocalplan.co.uk