Shropshire residents urged to air views on housing

Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Campaign to Protect Rural England are calling on people to have their say at an open meeting next week.

More than 50,000 new houses are set to be built by the mid 2020s across the county and the groups say it is essential people make their views known now if they wish to influence which areas are built on.

Stuart Edmunds, of Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said: "As towns in the West Midlands expand, there is a chance Shropshire could become 'Shropopolis'; an area for conurbations to spread into."

A public meeting has been arranged by the Trust and CPRE at the Lord Hill Hotel, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury on Thursday. Mr Edmunds says he intends to inform and encourage people on how to get engaged in the consultations.

"Expert advice will be offered from three speakers," said Mr Edmunds.

"Niall Blackie, senior partner at Shrewsbury solicitors' firm FBC Manby Bowdler, will discuss the National Planning Policy Framework, within which local councils have to operate.

"Planning consultant David Parker will interpret the planning changes at a local level and Colin Preston, director of Shropshire Wildlife Trust, will advise on how people can work together to get the best deal for Shropshire."

Up to 30,000 houses are set to be built in Telford and a further 25,000 in the rest of Shropshire.

Building will happen mainly in the market towns, with Shrewsbury likely to increase by up to 20 per cent in size within a decade. "This is development on an unprecedented scale," said Mr Preston. "We have a great challenge on our hands to make sure these houses go in the right place and that damage to our fragile environment and its wildlife is minimised."

Shropshire Council is due to publish a draft version of the SAMDev (Site Allocations and Management of Development) plan shortly.