Town facing homes boom

More than 300 homes a year could be built in Shrewsbury over the next 17 years under ambitious proposals unveiled today.

But opponents hit out at the move, claiming that the number of homes proposed was too many and questioned whether the infrastructure would buckle under the pressure.

They believe roads, schools and a number of jobs need to be in place in the town and surrounding the area to support people that extra homes would bring.

A panel appointed by the Secretary of State to examine the Draft West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy Phase 2 Revision recommended the number of homes proposed for Shropshire be increased by another 1,800.

The document, which will determine how many homes should be built in the region, recommends 27,500 be built in Shropshire from 2006 to 2026, including 6,500 in Shrewsbury - 300 more than originally suggested.

In Telford & Wrekin 26,500 homes are proposed, 25,000 of which would be in Telford itself, while 1,000 homes could be built for families related to the Ministry of Defence sites at Cosford and Donnington.

For Shrewsbury the figures would mean 325 homes built a year while 365,600 homes are proposed for the West Midlands as a whole.

However, the panel states that the economic climate nationally which has causing housebuilding to grind to a halt means councils would have to work hard to meet the targets.

Today Karen Lloyd, development officer and secretary of Shrewsbury Civic Society, raised concerns about the Shrewsbury figures.

She said: "I think it's too much. There is a need for the smaller, rentable and starter homes within Shrewsbury, but it's not just about houses, there needs to be the jobs there as well and the infrastructure such as schools and roads to support the extra people."

Peter Nutting, leader of Shrewsbury Town Council and a Shropshire councillor, said the figures were in line with the number of homes built in the town over the last 20 years. But he said: "We have got to be careful that we don't allow the town to grow too quickly."

And he added: "There is a lot of stress on the elderly people's services in the county and that is a worry."