Letter: Clearing up points on village housing
With regard to the article concerning the approval of the latest planning application to affect Norton in Hales, we would like to clarify certain points.
The main reason that this and other applications have been rejected at parish and Shropshire county level by a substantial majority was due to the cumulative effect on the village of potentially a 40 per cent increase in housing at a stroke from four separate developments, almost all of this on land outside but adjacent to the village planning boundary.
In the 28 years we have lived in Norton in Hales, we have seen house numbers in the village grow already by around 35 per cent, but at a steady rate, within the village boundary and in keeping with the village as a whole.
Most villagers would not be against a continuation of a similar steady growth of the village, as part of keeping Norton in Hales to be an active vibrant community going forward.
But we fear that the addition of so many new dwellings all at once (including those featured in the Shropshire Star article) as a result of the development free-for-all which seems to be the current norm, will totally change the character of our beautiful village.
Not only that, but the additional traffic on our narrow lanes and other factors relating to the lack of infrastructure in Norton in Hales which the external inspector has chosen to ignore.
Richard and Susan Walton, Norton in Hales
