Campaigners hand in petition against plans for 800 homes in Albrighton
It has been signed by more than 3,700 people.
Last updated 19th Jul 2024
A petition signed by more than 3,700 people has been handed to Shropshire Council as campaigners step up their fight against plans for 800 new homes in Albrighton.
Boningale Homes has requested planning permission for a 47-hectare site, which could also include a 70-bed care home facility, a new secondary school and a local centre.
Today (19 July), campaigners and residents were joined by Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, to hand in the petition at The Shirehall.
“The campaign to protect our green belt really starts now and we are urging people who are opposed to Boningale Homes’ plans to strongly object – this is one of the best ways for us to win,” explained Charlie Blakemore, co-chair of the Albrighton Village Action Group.
“You can see the overwhelming feeling from local residents, with over 3,700 signing the petition asking the council to reject this unneeded overdevelopment.
"There have also been 140+ objections to the planning application already and this is growing daily. We are delighted to present this petition to Shropshire Council today on behalf of the village.”
He continued: “Our group supports appropriate development, and we have 771 new homes being built as part of the Local Plan that we support - that’s more than our fair share and will help support Labour’s housing push.
“Our village’s infrastructure, roads and amenities will not cope with another 800 houses. Location and scale of this speculative proposal is just not right."
Charlie concluded: “The deadline for objecting is getting closer. We must translate this strong feeling into official objections and by donating to our fundraising campaign. This will cover the fees of the legal and planning specialists we are using to help fight these proposals and the green belt grab.
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, added his support: “I want to reiterate my support for the green belt and in protecting Albrighton against the overdevelopment proposed by Boningale Homes.
“My objection to this speculative green belt grab, which has little thought of how it may affect the village, has already been lodged and I will work with AVAG to fight these proposals.”
Responding to the concerns raised by residents, Boningale Homes said it had a vision which would respect "the character of the surrounding area."
It added that the development would be a "new neighbourhood which can support the long-term sustainability of Albrighton and continue to make it an attractive place to live in Shropshire".
Shropshire Council is due to make a decision on the development later this year.