Homes investigation extended
Thursday 21st February 2008, 6:40AM GMT.
A major investigation into whether Church Stretton can cope with large numbers of new homes is being extended to a neighbouring area.
Experts last week revealed plans for a review of facilities in the town amid fears that services were creaking under the pressure of increased demand.
Now the survey is being extended to Craven Arms, where scores of homes have been built in recent years.
South Shropshire District Council wants to see if both towns can cope with an influx of residents.
They want to know whether too much pressure is being put on health care, schools, roads and other parts of the town’s infrastructure.
Today Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith, south Shropshire’s finance boss, said the district council would have liked to have conducted a district-wide survey.
However, he said that would have been a mammoth task and the authority did not have sufficient resources.
He said: “We are looking at conducting an infrastructure review at Church Stretton and Craven Arms.
“It would be a mammoth task to include the entire district. That is something that may be conducted when we switch to a unitary authority.”
Council experts will see whether there are enough places in local schools, nursing homes, doctor’s surgeries, sports clubs, dental clinics and other establishments.
They will also look into housing availability, social amenities and other parts of day-to-day life.
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I used to go to Church Stretton on school trips re Geographical Dept.
I am sad to read there may be massive house building projects in this lovely and very beautiful area.
At least a common sense attitude is being taken re assessing what Church Stretton can cope with.
We used to live in Aylesbury in BUCKS and Lichfield in STAFFS – both were small areas and both had weak facilities and infrastructure links to cope with the mass housing developments occuring on various sites within the towns.
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