Villagers question need for hundreds of houses to be built near Oswestry

People living in a north Shropshire village have questioned the need for so many houses to be built.

Gobowen, near Oswestry, is currently being targeted for two huge developments. Last April, Shingler Homes was told that an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required for a proposal to build up to 350 homes on land between Hammonds Place and Whittington Road.

The firm, based in Myddle, near Shrewsbury, has previously unveiled residential developments in Gobowen, such as The Acorns off Whittington Road. On its website, Shingler Homes says Gobowen "offers rural village life with excellent amenities and transport life on your doorstep."

However, its latest proposal is by far its biggest in the village to date, with planning agent, Nigel Thorns, saying that the developer is considering submitting an outline application.

Shingler Homes has been approached for comment.

Last month, another scoping opinion request for a large development was submitted to see if an EIA was required.

Documents show that Plas Foxen Homes, based in Four Crosses, near Llanymynech, is proposing a hybrid development that will consist of up to 250 houses on land east of the B5069, near The Old Vicarage Nursing Home.

The application - which is due to be determined by next Monday (September 7) - also shows that flood alleviation measures will be part of the scheme.

If the proposal went ahead, it would be near the Penson Grange housing development. That project is being developed by Permisson Homes, who secured planning permission for 132 homes in August 2025.

A petition has already been set up opposing the plans, which has attracted over 300 online signatures.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to some people in Gobowen who are concerned about the proposals.

"I feel if we build 600 more homes in the village, it's going to make the flooding in our local area worse," said Emily Daly.

Diane Daly added: "Where is the transport? You can't work in Oswestry at night and come back because you can't rely on the public transport.

"Where's the doctor's surgery? Where's the shops? When the traffic is diverted through the village when the bypass is closed, it's horrendous. The trains and buses are absolutely rammed - it's ridiculous."

Natasha Williams added that the environmental impact the schemes will have on the village "will be catastrophic"

"The population there will be the same size as Sellatyn - it's just wrong on so many levels," she said.

"I moved here 22 years because it was a nice small village and I thought it would be a good area to bring up my children. But it's just getting bigger and bigger. For the past four years, St Martins School has been oversubscribed.

"They took police station away from Oswestry, yet they want to increase the population - it doesn't make sense."

Another resident, who did not want to be named, has calculated that, including houses that are being built or projected to, there could be 950 new homes in the village.

"Shropshire Council's last projection figure for all of Shropshire was 1,032, so how come 950 is in Gobowen," he asked.

"It comes down to Shropshire failing to produce a Local Plan. What the developers have done is they've looked at all the surrounding counties, they all have housing plans.

"So they can't build where they want and cashing in on Shropshire's lack of housing supply.

"Shropshire [Council] took eight years to develop its last housing plan which was rejected. It's now focused on producing one in the next 30 months.

"But until they do that, developers are just going absolutely crazy. So they're buying up land wherever they can, sticking in EIAs and planning applications knowing that, until there's a housing plan, no one can stop them.

"Residents need social housing, but they're not being built. Towns should be towns, and villages, villages."