Historic England raises 'concerns' over plans for 430 new homes in Shrewsbury near Roman marching camp
Historic England has warned the latest phase of a large housing development in Shrewsbury could harm archaeology linked to a nearby Roman camp.
Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes want to build 430 homes and a local centre on land at Weir Hill to the east of Shrewsbury.
The companies have already built more than 600 homes at Weir Hill, as part of phases one and two of the development.
Phase three - this latest proposal - also includes plans for a local centre made up of shops and space for community use.
A public consultation, which closed on March 16, attracted 127 objections from members of the public, who raised concerns about the potential impact on local roads, already-strained infrastructure and wildlife.
The plans have also come under fire from the Environment Agency (EA), which objected to the scheme due to "an inadequate assessment of flood risk".
The EA said the earmarked land contained some areas at medium and high risk of flooding.
Now, Historic England has said it has "concerns" about the scheme, stating the site could contain archaeology relating to the nearby Roman marching camp at Uffington.
The organisation is calling for a programme of archaeological investigation to take place ahead of the scheme progressing.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: "Without this investigation, the proposal has potential to cause a degree of harm to the significance of the scheduled monument through its impact on archaeological remains.
"Overall we assess this proposal as requiring further information to inform its impact on below ground archaeological remains. In the absence of this further information, it should be regarded that there is a likelihood of harm to the significance of the scheduled marching camp through impact on associated archaeological remains."
The full planning application is available to view online on Shropshire Council's planning portal using reference number: 26/00202/OUT
