Oswestry hill fort campaigners vow to fight on to stop homes
Campaigners fighting to preserve the history surrounding Oswestry's Iron Age hill fort today pledged to continue the fight despite being disappointed by a decision by the Planning Inspectorate.
Shropshire Council's Samdev plans for housing development over the next decade were signed off by planning inspector Claire Sherratt this week – and included 117 houses on a site given the name OSW004, which lies in the shadow of the hill fort.
In the 68-page report, containing lengthy deliberation over OSW004, Ms Sherratt said: "Notwithstanding the level of opposition to the inclusion of site OSW004, Historic England has not maintained an objection, a consideration that I afford considerable weight."
But Dr George Nash, an archaeologist and specialist in pre-historic art, said: "The fight to save this significant historic landscape fortunately will go on.
"The inspector's report does show a complete misunderstanding of the issues concerning the guidance for the protection of a nationally-important archaeological monument such as Old Oswestry Hillfort; in particular, the issue of substantial harm to the setting of the hill fort. She claims that the views from the hill fort to the proposed development site will not be impinged – clearly Ms Sherratt is looking at another hill fort. I am concerned that her approach is merely taken from the point of view of the developer and in many respects the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework have not been properly applied.
"Despite these inconsistences, I am delighted she has highlighted the indecisions and dithering of Historic England. Clearly they are very much out of touch with their own policies, in particular their guidance on the setting of monuments."
Dr Nash said: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. We fight on."
Kate Clarke, spokeswoman for the campaign group, said members were disappointed but following Ms Sherratt's comments, would be writing to Historic England to ask why it did not object.
She said: "If this housing goes ahead, Historic England in league with Shropshire Council have let down Shropshire's heritage and its public very badly. Not only this, they could unleash a damning planning precedent wreaking untold damage on the nation's heritage."
