Market Drayton homes campaigners vow to keep on fighting

People living in Woodseaves, near Market Drayton, are unhappy that their area has been put forward as part of Shropshire Council's Site Allocation and Management Development Plan (SAMDev).

Residents have voiced their concerns to Sutton-upon-Tern Parish Council which has said SAMDev is now in its final stages of adoption and alterations cannot be made.

But Shropshire Council has today confirmed that alterations can still be made before it finally adopts the plan.

Sutton Lane, Sydnall Lane and Tyrley have been nominated for possible development as part of the proposals for Sutton Parish put forward by parish councillors.

But residents fear that could lead to the loss of their open countryside status and allow housing development. They have launched a petition to get their community removed from the plans which has so far been signed by about 100 people. Rachel Dams, who helped launch the petition, voiced her concerns at a parish council meeting last week. Speaking after the meeting, she said: "It was an explosive meeting and there must have been about 50 residents there.

"We said we did not want this. The council did not want to engage with us at all. There is no way residents are going to let this go."

The council said the public question time at the meeting had been extended to an hour to allow residents to have their say.

A statement on behalf of Sutton-upon-Tern Parish Council said it had been agreed that between 10 and 15 homes could be built across the sites as part of SAMDev. "SAMDev is now in its final stages of adoption and alterations cannot be made," the statement adds. But Councillor Malcolm Price, Shropshire Council cabinet member for planning, said: "The SAMDev Plan is now in its submission form and any amendments can only be made where they concern minor matters such as editorial changes.

"However, more significant alterations to the plan will be considered as part of an independent examination. Following detailed consideration through the examination, the planning inspector may publish recommended amendments to the plan through the inspector's report."

"The council will act accordingly to the inspector's recommendations before finally adopting the SAMDev Plan."

Residents have also written to the MP for North Shropshire Owen Paterson.

But in his response he said: "The democratically elected body with responsibility for planning is Shropshire Council.

"As I have not been elected to this council, I have no power to involve myself directly in the decision making process."