Shifnal road concerns raised at Albrighton 800 homes green belt inquiry

Shifnal housing campaigners have raised concerns over the traffic impact from 800 proposed houses in Albrighton at a planning inquiry.

A representative from Shifnal Matters spoke directly to the planning inspector presiding over an appeal for the controversial Albrighton green belt scheme.

The matter is being considered by a 12-day planning inquiry after the firm behind the proposal, Boningale Developments, appealed against Shropshire Council’s decision to reject the application last December.

The plan has been met with strong opposition from local residents, a number of whom addressed the inquiry when it opened on Tuesday.

Zoe Turner, from Shifnal Matters, spoke in the evening session of the opening day.

She outlined concerns over the knock-on impact of a major housing settlement in such close proximity to the Shifnal roads network - when Shifnal itself has been the focus of major recent and continuing housing plans.

Mrs Turner specifically raised the issue of the A464 to the south east of Shifnal - with two other major housing applications already set to impact the route.

She said: “Although the site sits just beyond our parish boundary, its traffic impacts will fall heavily on Shifnal and the A464 corridor, which is already under significant strain.

“Over the past decade, Shifnal has absorbed large volumes of new housing, and two further major developments are currently being built along the A464 in Shifnal.

“These schemes alone will generate thousands of additional daily vehicle movements, feeding directly into a route that is already operating at or beyond capacity at peak times.

“Residents are already experiencing long queues, slow-moving traffic, and extended journey times, particularly at the key pinch points approaching Shifnal through the A464 Five-ways island and the M54 junctions.

“Shropshire Highways has repeatedly highlighted that several sections of the A464 cannot be widened or reconfigured in any meaningful way due to physical constraints, land availability, and the proximity of existing development.

“Their recent comments emphasise that cumulative impacts from multiple developments along this corridor have not been fully addressed and that the network lacks resilience to absorb further growth. In their own words, key junctions are already “over capacity” and the corridor is “highly constrained,” with limited scope for mitigation.”

Mrs Turner said the Albrighton proposal would have a significant impact on the town.

She said: “The Boningale proposal would add yet another large development feeding directly onto this same corridor.”

She told how assessments of the impact do not consider the other two developments being built, or those proposed for the town in the future.

She added: “For Shifnal, this is not an abstract highways concern. Increased congestion affects emergency response times, school transport and students’ safety, access to employment, and daily life for thousands of residents. The A464 is already struggling; adding further traffic without secured, deliverable mitigation would worsen conditions significantly.

“For these reasons, Shifnal respectfully urges the inspector to dismiss the appeal on highways grounds alone. The cumulative traffic impact is severe, unaddressed, and unsustainable.”

Following the submission there was surprise when it emerged that a decision on the inquiry will now be taken by the Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, after she stepped in over the proposal.