Town-by-town: Where Shropshire's 30,000 new homes will be built

The new local plan is expected to be adopted in early 2022, and sets out where homes and business sites should be constructed up until 2038.

Some towns and villages are set to see major expansions through the allocation of large areas of land for hundreds of properties, while others will see more modest growth through small scale schemes.

The council’s cabinet was meeting today to sign off the latest draft of the plan, which lists the sites earmarked for significant development along with a raft of new planning policies.

More:

• D-day over Shropshire Council plans for 30,000 homes

It will then go out to a final round of public consultation before being presented to the full council for approval to submit it for government examination.

Here is a summary of what it means for towns across the county.

Albrighton

RAF Cosford has been identified as a ‘strategic site’, and is set to be expanded to form a specialist aviation academy, new Midlands Air Ambulance headquarters and extension of the museum.

Around 500 new houses expected along with five hectares of employment land. Most of the houses will be built on three parcels of land between St Mary’s School, Kingswood Road, Beamish Lane and the railway line. The first site, for 180 houses behind the school, was allocated in the previous plan but is yet to be developed. A further 180 houses will be built on the rest of the site, which is a new allocation.

Bishop’s Castle

Around 150 homes along with three hectares of employment land, but no new sites are allocated. Land identified for housing in the previous development plan still applies, including a site for 40 houses north of School House Lane. Settlements near the town will also see growth, including Bucknell (110 houses), Clun (95), Worthen and Brockton (55) and Chirbury (45).

Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth will see 1,800 new homes built and 49 hectares of employment land developed. The largest – and most controversial – site is the proposed garden village to the west of the town at Tasley, where 1,050 houses are set to be built. The scheme will also include land for business growth. More employment land is allocated at Stanmore Industrial Estate. Around 130 houses are set to be built in Alveley, along with 65 in Ditton Priors.

Broseley

Around 250 homes and three hectares of employment land. The housing will be delivered through small-scale developments and the business growth will be on a site off Avenue Road, which was allocated in the previous development plan but has not yet been built.

Buildwas

The 140 hectare site of the former Ironbridge Power Station will see a new settlement of 1,000 houses created. Plans have already been submitted to Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council.

Church Stretton

Around 200 houses and two hectares of employment land. No new major sites are identified in the plan, after the contentious Snatchfields Farm proposals for 70 homes were dropped last month. New housing will mostly be delivered through small scale developments in order to respect the sensitive character of the Shropshire Hills AONB.

Cleobury Mortimer

Around 200 houses and two hectares of employment land, to be delivered through small-scale development.

Craven Arms

Around 500 homes and 15 hectares of employment land, though no new large sites are identified. Land off Watling Street was allocated in the previous development plan and this still applies.The biggest business site is eight hectares at Newington Farm, which was already allocated for the relocation and expansion of Euro Quality Lambs abattoir.

Ellesmere

Around 800 houses and eight hectares of employment land. Most development will be to the south of the town, between Scotland Street and the canal. This includes previously allocated pieces of land for an 18 hectare leisure and tourism site and 250 houses, along with a new site for 170 houses. Nearby Dudleston Heath is expected to grow by around 60 houses, of which 20 will be built at the former Ravenscroft Haulage site which was already allocated for housing.

Highley

Around 250 homes and three hectares of employment land. A new site has been identified south of Oak Street, behind existing properties in Yew Tree Grove, for 100 houses.

Ludlow

Ludlow is expected to see 1,000 new homes built by 2038 and 11 hectares of employment land developed. Major sites include land at Rocks Green, which was already allocated for 200 houses, and 90 homes on a new site at the former coach depot on Fishmore Road.

Nearby Burford is set to expand by 190 houses and two new sites have been earmarked to ensure this target is met. Land adjoining Lineage Farm has been allocated for 40 houses, while on the eastern side of the village 100 houses could be built on a field north of the A456. Cleehill has a target of 75 new homes, including a site for 20 houses north of The Crescent.

Market Drayton

Several new pieces of land are earmarked for significant development to meet the town’s target of 1,200 new houses and 35 hectares of employment land to be developed by 2038. Four sites north of the bypass are allocated for housing – land adjoining Adderley Road (125 houses), land at Longford Turning (120), and land either side of Maer Lane (120 houses and 70 houses). The relocation of the town’s sports facilities, currently in Greenfields Lane, to Longford Turning is another key aim. Three adjoining sites already allocated for a total of 300 houses around Greenfields Lane will also contribute to the target.

Around 155 new houses are to be built in Hinstock, including 35 on a newly allocated site east of School Bank, while a new site earmarked for 40 properties near Hodnet primary school will contribute to its target of 105.

Minsterley and Pontesbury

Around 155 new houses are to be built in Minsterley, along with 175 in Pontesbury. In Minsterley, a new site for 20 houses has been allocated at the northeastern entrance to the village off the A488, while land was already earmarked for 32 properties off Callow Lane. In Pontesbury, a site is identified for 40 houses north of Minsterley Road at the western side of the village, next to a site already allocated for 16 homes.

Much Wenlock

Land next to the primary school is earmarked in the new local plan for 120 houses, contributing significantly to the town’s target of 200. It will be accessed by a new roundabout off the A458. Nearby Cressage is expected to see 80 new homes.

Oswestry

Despite a target of 1,900 new houses and 57 hectares of employment land to be developed, no new sites are allocated for significant development within the town itself. The only site which was initially included in the new plan was for 30 houses off Trefonen Road, but this has been dropped after local opposition.

The plan allocates land for a ‘garden settlement’ at Park Hall, which will include 240 houses in association with the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital and Derwen College.

Housing will also be built in Oswestry on previously allocated sites off Whittington Road (117 homes), the former Richard Burbidge site (180), and south of the cemetery (80). Likewise land already allocated for business use next to the Whittington Road and Mile End Roundabouts are brought forward from the council’s previous plan. Villages near the town are also set to expand, including Gobowen (360 houses), St Martins (355), Whittington (200), Llanymynech (125) and Ruyton-XI-Towns (125).

Shifnal

Shifnal is expected to see 1,500 houses built and 41 hectares of business land developed. A site has been earmarked to the north of the town off Meadow Drive for 65 houses, along with two sites to the south of the town for a total of 165 homes.

Land allocated in the council’s previous development plan for hundreds of homes on the east side of Shifnal, some of which have already been built, will also contribute to the housing target.

A major expansion is planned to Shifnal Industrial Estate. Proposals from Bradford Estates for 3,000 houses, schools and employment land to form a new ‘garden village’ near Tong, at junction three of the M54, are not included in the local plan after the council said it could not justify the release of the green belt land.

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury is expected to see 8,625 houses built alongside 100 hectares of employment land. This includes the two sustainable urban extensions (SUEs) to the west and south of the town, which were already allocated and are currently in development.

Land between Mytton Oak Road and Hanwood Road is allocated for 1,500 houses and business growth to form a new SUE, while a site north of Mytton Oak Road is earmarked for 400 properties. Land west of Ellesmere Road is allocated for 450 homes, a site near Meole Brace retail park for 150 and land south of Sundorne Road for 60.

A nine hectare employment site next to Battlefield Roundabout has been dropped from the plan following the latest round of consultation. A new 45 hectare ‘gateway employment site’ is planned next to the A49 near Preston Island, and could be served by a new railway station.

Around 360 houses are set to be built in Bascurch, including 65 houses on a site to the west of Shrewsbury Road, half of which was previously allocated while the rest is earmarked in the new plan. In Bayston Hill, 100 houses on land off Lyth Hill Road and 47 on the former Oaklands School site will contribute to the village’s housing target of 200. Around 150 houses are to be built in Dorrington, along with 125 in Ford, 110 in Bomere Heath, 115 in Nesscliffe and 90 in Cross Houses.

Tern Hill

A new settlement will be formed at Clive Barracks. Around 750 houses will be built on the 72 hectare site, along with business land and a primary school.

Wem

Around 600 houses and six hectares of employment land. A site is allocated for 120 houses to the west of Lowe Hill Road, next to a piece of land already earmarked for 100 properties. Land off Whitchurch Road is allocated for 60 houses, along with a site off Trentham Road for 30.

Nearby Shawbury has a housing target of 150, of which 80 will be built on a new site identified to the south of the village off Poynton Road.

Around 125 houses will be built in Hadnall – including 40 on land south of Wedgefields Close – and 30 will be built in Clive.

Whitchurch

Around 1,600 houses and 20 hectares of employment land. Several significant developments are planned, including 200 homes on land north of Chester Road. A further 180 will be built on land north of Waymills, along with 70 on a site off Liverpool Road.

The village of Prees will see 170 new houses built, including 35 on land north of Tudor House.