A masterplan, which will see 750 homes built in Oswestry by 2026, is just weeks away from being presented to councillors.

The Urban Extension document will transform eastern Oswestry and provide hundreds of affordable homes for local families, town councillors were told last night. Shropshire Council’s growth point manager Richard Lawrence told councillors the authority was in talks with landowners.

Under discussion is how it will deliver the ambitious multi-million pound project which also includes vast area of green space for leisure and community use.

He said the plans were looking at how Oswestry’s eastern approach could be developed to provide 750 new homes by 2026 as well as four to six hectares of high quality employment land which would include a new business park.

The masterplan will identify chances for leisure and sports facilities, some in connection with Walford and North Shropshire College and some with the town’s new leisure centre.

Mr Lawrence said a new road was also being discussed to ease congestion and improve the network.

He said preferred options for public consultation will go before Shropshire Council’s cabinet on March 7 and if the cabinet agrees, the public will have a chance to have their say before work on the huge transformation project starts.

Mr Lawrence said even if the masterplan was agreed developers would still have to seek planning permission to build houses or develop employment land.

Mr Lawrence said colleagues from Shropshire Council would be visiting the town council next week to discuss plans for affordable homes in the scheme in more detail.

He said between 20 and 25 per cent of all the homes were likely to be affordable.

Town and Shropshire Councillor Martin Bennett said: “I am pleased to see after all this time the message has got through that we need a masterplan rather than allowing development to develop higgledy piggledy.

“I hope part of the green space is going to be reserved for allotments which the town council did say was very much required.”

Mr Lawrence said Shropshire Council had noted the allotments request and added there was room for a new primary school should one be required.