Shropshire countryside under threat from homes plans, claim

A great chunk of Shropshire's countryside will be eaten up and disappear forever under major plans to build thousands of homes in the county over the next 14 years, it was claimed today.

Shropshire Council planning chiefs have launched a three-month consultation on countywide plans to build 16,000 homes by 2026. It aims to help the authority's future growth and employment targets.

But environmental campaigners have warned more of Shropshire's countryside is being lost to needless housing development, and have urged people to make their views known.

They said the loss of greenfield sites in the county would eventually affect residents' quality of life and claimed the plans should act as motivation to spur people against the building of new homes into action.

Selby Martin, vice president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England's (CPRE) Shropshire branch, said: "We believe that there are too many houses being provided under these plans but accept that is the current situation, and we urge people to take part in the consultation exercise.

"It's a wake-up call for people and residents should all compare the proposed allocations with what their local town or parish councils have previously proposed.

"I think far too much greenfield land is being used up unnecessarily and this will inevitably impact on people's way of life, particularly in rural areas."

Shropshire councillor Mal Price, cabinet member for strategic planning at Shropshire Council, said: "There's a major need for housing and economic development in Shropshire, and this plan aims to guide where that development might be built in future.

The plans also include preferred sites for employment and are the latest stage in work to meet the council's core strategy for growth.

It called on Shropshire to build 27,500 homes between 2006 and 2026.