Residents demand answers over 600 home plan in Shrewsbury

Representatives from Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes will be showing proposals to build 600 homes at Weir Hill, near Shrewsbury College, at an exhibition on Monday.

Councillor Hannah Fraser, Shropshire and Shrewsbury Town Council representative for the Abbey ward, said she had been made aware of a number of concerns related to the proposal and encouraged people to attend the exhibition to find out more.

She said: "I do hope as many residents as possible will go along to the exhibition, as this is the chance to try to influence the design of the development.

"Residents have raised many concerns such as traffic congestion, poor water pressure, and losing the beautiful views to the south of Preston Street.

"I am particularly concerned that the developers are proposing a through route from Preston Street to London Road, which we were promised wouldn't happen in the original SAMDev plans.

"This could increase traffic pressure on the Belvidere Road bridge, which many residents already view as an accident waiting to happen."

Councillor Fraser said the site had initially been looked at as a potential urban extension but that the current proposal means it does not contain community infrastructure developments.

She said: "It is a huge site. When the council were looking at it they wondered whether this could be one of the urban extensions but they didn't think the access was right for 1,000 homes.

"But that means it is still very large but there is no infrastructure planning to go with it. There is nothing like that being talked about for it."

The plans will also be shown to Shrewsbury Town Council at its planning meeting on Tuesday.

The public exhibition is being held at the Lord Hill Hotel, Abbey Foregate, between 3.30pm and 7.30pm on Monday.

People who are unable to attend the consultation event can view and comment on the proposals online at www.weirhill.co.uk from Monday (2).