Fears over new homes prompts call to vote against Local Plan
Residents fear that changing their village's status from "open countryside" could pave the way for hundreds of new homes to be built.
Cressage villagers believe that if the proposal to change its land status to "community hub" is given the go ahead, it will mean doctors and schools in the area will be "overburdened".
Now they are urging county councillors to reject the Shropshire Local Plan Review on Monday.
Under current proposals outlined in the plan, which sets out where housing and employment land can be built up until 2038, 80 new homes are earmarked for Cressage.
But locals fear changing its status could make it easier for developers to snap up land and build large numbers of new houses.
Being classed as “open countryside” means planners should avoid building there unless they can satisfy “special circumstances” such as a proposal being of exceptional quality or innovative in its nature.
Cressage resident Rob Davies said: "We understand the need for planning and we know there is a national housing shortage, but we believe that local people should have more influence over developments.
Sustainability
"Many Cressage people actually want new housing, but they want affordable housing that caters for local people, not developments designed to generate maximum profit for developers and for Shropshire Council.
"Experience suggests that it is too easy for developers to sidestep requirements for providing affordable housing.
"Residents don’t want their local services and infrastructure to be overburdened by new developments, so we need to know that the Community Infrastructure Levy will be used for local infrastructure, rather than being absorbed into the council’s general budget.
"We also feel that planning for new developments should state clearly how to deal with carbon reduction, setting out the building standards required to comply with the council’s declared aims of reducing carbon emissions and ensuring sustainability.
"The local plan sets out principles we can all agree on, but it lacks detail on key issues.
"We urge Shropshire’s councillors, particularly those who represent people of the Severn Valley ward, to reject the current plan when they meet in cabinet on December 7.
"Our councillors need to ensure that the Local Plan sets out in clear detail how practical outcomes will be achieved for the benefit of local people."
