Local Plan Review Consultation deadline fast approaching

Shropshire Council’s Local Plan review consultation closes on the 8th of February. It is important that as many people as possible respond. If you want sites added or removed from the plan, or to have an impact on the overall strategy, now is the time to comment. Once things get locked in and become policy it will be much harder for people to make changes.

Over the last few weeks, I have been out in Whitting Division gauging opinion in West Felton, Whittington and Park Hall with a Housing Survey. Thank you to everybody who has filled in the survey. Your responses are much appreciated. I will be collating all of the responses for when I send in my own comments. I will also share my findings with respondents, putting a summary on my website and in a future Focus newsletter.

If you are a resident of Whittington or West Felton Parishes you can still let me know your views on Shropshire Council’s Local Plan Review here:

West Felton parish Housing Survey (Dec 2018)
Whittington parish Housing Survey (December 2018)

More importantly, please can you respond to Shropshire Council’s Local Plan review consultation is here:
https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/local-plan-review-preferred-sites-consultation/

For Park Hall, Whittington and West Felton the specific documents are within the Oswestry Place Plan area:
Preferred Sites Consultation – Oswestry Place Plan Area.pdf
Preferred Sites Questionnaire – Oswestry Place Plan Area.pdf

Local plan review summary

Shropshire Council has opted for the ‘High’ housing growth option of 28,750 dwellings

The Conservative administration picked the highest of the 3 options Shropshire Council considered.

All three options were higher than the Government’s own assessment of 25,400 dwellings

Their chosen growth figure is more than DOUBLE the 18,000 suggested by the CPRE

West Felton village is slated for 130 new houses over the plan period – a 45% increase since 2011 census.

Whittington Parish is slated for 360 new houses over the plan period – a 34% increase since 2011 census.

Local plan review consultation - Housing Survey. Working hard all year round not just at elections

Local plan review consultation – West Felton Housing Survey. Working hard all year round not just at elections

I will be objecting to the plans in the local plan review consultation.

The overall housing target is too high. 80% of residents I have surveyed want the CPRE target, with some supporting the Government target. Nobody so far wants ‘Significant’ or ‘High’ growth levels.
Housing Need public consultation is largely being assessed after the sites have been picked. The public should have been consulted properly about need months ago.
Shropshire Council has opted for a strategy that is all about their own finances, not the needs of communities in Shropshire. By setting the maximum rate they can broaden their tax base to fill their budget blackhole without putting up the council tax rate. They are also picking sites, in the current review and as sites with long-term potential, that they already own ahead of other sites that may be equally or more sustainable sites for housing growth. This leaves the whole plan vulnerable to challenge from sites that have been passed over and ultimately rejection by planning inspectors.
More specifically, I am also objecting to West Felton becoming a Community Hub. Residents have already said they wanted the village to be Open Countryside, The parish didn’t want to have any more housing. The Parish Council flew in the face of that opinion by supporting the change to a Community Hub. 100% of respondents to my survey want to remain as Open Countryside. Some are very angry about that decision. A minority of parish councillors, including myself, opposed the move to becoming a hub.
Generally, I am in favour of the principle of creating Garden Villages. However, the two sites chosen by the Conservative-run Council, in Park Hall and Stanmore, next to Bridgnorth, are the wrong places. By creating a zone of expansion for Oswestry in Park Hall they are creating urban sprawl that threatens the distinct identities of Park Hall, Whittington and Gobowen. A sift in the centre of gravity will also have a negative impact on the future viability of Oswestry Town Centre. At Stanmore, they will trash a much-loved country park and ruin the heritage of RAF Stanmore for future generations. Both put pressures on existing infrastructure. If Garden Villages are built they are better built as new villages where suitable infrastructure and employment can be designed in from the start.
Just because it is easy to deliver doesn’t make a site the best, the most sustainable or the best fit. Planning policy should be based on local need and strategic need not the short-term financial need of Shropshire Council.

Delivering the Whittington Housing Survey

Why it is important residents have their say now

When a new site is developed and an application for planning permission is made, comments and objections are submitted by residents. Those arguments for and against a site are more sustainable if they are supported by policy. So getting the policy right at the beginning is critical. All too often heartfelt objections are ridden over because they have come far too late into the process. So please have your say in the Local Plan review consultation.

I believe that the public should have a much stronger role in deciding the overall planning strategy and shaping the communities they live in. Equally a greater input into applications before they are made can only help improve the overall quality of applications. More often than not, because of low engagement levels, people are unaware of things happening until the application is made or even when the first turf is cut. This only leads to tension in the planning system which doesn’t help anybody.

The Local Plan review consultation is an important step in setting policy. Strong policy, based on need, will make sure housing growth is appropriate for our needs.

Shropshire Council is consulting on housing need over the coming weeks and months through Right Home Right Place. It is beyond frustrating that Shirehall has put the cart before the horse. I would urge residents to participate in this survey as well.