Plans for 19 homes on edge of north Shropshire village approved despite residents' fears

Plans to build 19 new homes on the northern edge of a Shropshire village have been given the go-ahead.

Shropshire Council planning officers have given a landowner permission to build 19 new homes in Baschurch.

The application proposed 15 open‑market houses and four affordable homes on land north of Stony Yard, accessed through the recently built Parry Close cul‑de‑sac.

Baschurch Parish Council objected to the scheme, arguing the location was unsuitable for families walking to village services, that the density amounts to overdevelopment, and that the scheme risks altering the village’s rural character.

Councillors also warned it could set a precedent for further speculative expansion outside the settlement boundary.

Ten public objections were also raised during the consultation period, including concerns about traffic, school capacity, and - mostly - about the cumulative development in the area.

“There has already been a good deal housing development in and around Baschurch in recent years, some of which has had a significant adverse effect on both the ambience of the village and an already strained infrastructure,” wrote one objector, Mr Healey.

Another, Mr Downing agreed: “The cumulative effect is changing the character of the village and is not in keeping with its small, rural nature.

“The scale and location of this proposal are not sustainable in terms of transport, services, or community needs. There is no clear justification that the village requires or can accommodate more housing at this time.”

When considering the application, planning officers acknowledged that the site lies outside Baschurch’s development boundary - a factor that would normally weigh heavily against approval.

But Shropshire's local plan - an important document outlining future locations for new housing and employment space - was effectively scrapped last year after government planning inspectors raised concerns, mostly about the lack of housing.

Without an up‑to‑date plan in place, national planning rules require councils to approve sustainable development unless the harms clearly outweigh the benefits.

In this case, the council determined the proposal “would contribute to addressing the shortfall in housing land supply” and that the benefits “outweigh the identified policy conflict”.

Officers recommend approval subject to a Section 106 agreement securing the affordable homes and long‑term maintenance of the open space.

The full application and decision notice are available to view online on Shropshire Council’s planning portal using reference number 25/03110/FUL.

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