Campaigners in Ludlow cock-a-hoop as inspector rejects meadow housing plan
Campaigners in Ludlow are "relieved and delighted" after a planning inspector backed their efforts to save a cherished meadow.
Developer Shropshire Homes had appealed to the national Planning Inspectorate after local planners rejected their proposals for six homes on Castle View Meadow and on Friday campaigners received news that they had won.
“We are relieved and delighted,” said Peter Roberts, a spokesperson for the Save the Meadow group.
“It’s been a difficult campaign, during which we also had to cope with the pandemic restrictions – although we were really encouraged by seeing how many residents and visitors, joggers and walkers, took advantage of the wonderful views offered from the Terrace during lockdown.
"The inspector’s report highlighted the value of the meadow to residents in this part of Ludlow, and stated how well regarded it is locally, how greatly it contributes to the health and wellbeing of the community, and how it provides ‘one of the few green, open, and meaningful spaces in the immediate locality’.”
The plans had been rejected by Shropshire Council in November 2020, partly on the grounds that Ludlow already has enough homes, and the inspector agreed.
Planning inspector Gareth Thomas roundly supported Shropshire Council's case against the windfall housing site.
He accepted the council's case that 515 homes were completed between 2006/07 and 2020/21 and that at March 2021 there were 761 dwellings in the pot. This, he said, was more than enough.
Mr Thomas said: "The housing delivery targets for Ludlow as identified in Policy S10 has already been exceeded by a considerable amount."
The inspector noted that there were issues in favour of the scheme but they would be modest in comparison to the "harm to the health and wellbeing of the community which would result from the loss of open space and its associated amenity and recreation value.
"As a result, the social role of sustainable development would not be achieved.
"Whilst I have found modest economic benefits and neutral-to-modest environmental benefits, these would not outweigh the overall social harms identified.
"The proposal is in direct conflict with the development plan and there are no other considerations that outweigh the harm identified."
Mr Roberts, for the Save the Meadow group, said: “We owe so much to the many people and organisations who backed our case.”
“We had great support and encouragement from our councillors, as well as the Civic Society and many other public bodies. We feel this is a genuine victory for people power.”
Campaigners hope that Shropshire Homes will now engage with them in restoring the meadow to its original state, with the aim of creating a protected public amenity for the local community.
