Councillor's fears over Newport development plans

Plans to build two supermarkets and about a thousand homes in Newport would "decimate" the town's High Street, leading to scores of empty shops.

That is the view of Councillor Eric Carter who today said he did not know of any people living in the town who supported the proposals.

Councillor Carter, who represents Newport East on Telford & Wrekin Council, said the authority should look at other Shropshire towns, such as Market Drayton, which already has multiple supermarkets and has a High Street filled with empty shops.

He said the plans would have a similar effect on Newport town centre and said the authority should do everything it could to avoid hitting local businesses further.

He said: "People say you should look at Market Drayton – it has something like 28 empty shops in the town centre. The last thing we need to do is threaten the High Street in Newport by having a big supermarket which will hit the traders."

Outline plans were submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council by Indigo Planning in July for a 50,000 ft supermarket, cafe, and parking in Audley Avenue in Newport.

A second application by the same developers is asking for a wildlife and allotments area next to the supermarket.

Separate proposals have also been put to the public by Telford & Wrekin Council, Davidsons Development and St Modwen for a 50,000sq ft supermarket, business park, petrol station and 400 homes on land either side of Station Road.

A third proposal has also been mooted to build about 300 homes at the back of Newport's Moorfield School.

Councillor Carter said: "There has been a lot of debate taking place on these plans – but I can't find anyone apart from the landowners who are in favour.

"I think the idea of a business park would be welcomed, but it is highly unlikely we would get that without the homes and the supermarket.

"We don't want homes built on a greenfield site, which would be decimated to make way for them."

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard has also criticised the plans. Last month he said: "In my view, the plans are disproportionate, unsustainable, and smack of being rushed."

By Peter Kitchen