Controversial Albrighton housing scheme sees over 1,100 objections lodged
A controversial housing scheme that threatens 52-hectares of Shropshire green belt has received unprecedented opposition following the end of the consultation phase.
Over 1,100 objections have been submitted against Boningale Homes speculative plans to build 800 houses in Albrighton in a move that residents say will rip the heart out of the village and turn it into a town with creaking infrastructure and major traffic issues.
Albrighton Village Action Group (AVAG), which is made up of local volunteers, has welcomed the overwhelming support of residents and is now calling on Shropshire Council to stand on the right side of history by rejecting this speculative planning application that would destroy high quality greenbelt and farmland forever.
The scale of opposition is significant, with a 3,700-strong petition already handed in (representing 83% of the local population) and now over 1,100 objections lodged from residents.
Charlie Blakemore, Co-Chair of AVAG, commented: “We know that residents of the village are furious at Boningale Homes plan to rip the heart out of our village and destroy quality green belt, but even we are surprised at the scale of objections.
“Over 1,100 residents have taken time to lodge their objections on the Shropshire Council Planning Portal, which clearly shows the level of deep feeling in the community that the location, and scale of this speculative proposal, is just not right.
“This is genuine lived-in knowledge that the village’s roads, infrastructure and amenities would simply not cope with this scale of unplanned overdevelopment.”
He continued: “We’ve also seen a unanimous response from other local community groups, with Albrighton Flooding Action Group (AFLAG), Albrighton Development Action Group (ADAG) and Albrighton Parish Council all objecting and throwing their substantial weight behind our campaign.”
AVAG, which has been supported throughout by local MP Mark Pritchard, has submitted its own 92-page document and a specially produced drone objection video.
The group has also arranged technical reviews by two planning consultants and a lawyer and has submitted a further four professional objection documents – all funded by donations from local residents and businesses.
Increased traffic, road closures, pressure on creaking medical and transport infrastructure and negative impact on the high street have all been cited, whilst there is massive worry about the ecological damage the proposed development is going to cause and the negative impact on mental health and well-being by stripping away 52-hectares of productive farmland and green belt.
Not against new housing
Claire Lakin, a founding member of Albrighton Village Action Group, continued: “We’ve long stressed that we’re not against new housing in the village and have been a strong supporter of the Local Plan that has put aside land to support the build of 771 properties.
“This level of development alone represents nearly a 25% increase in the population of Albrighton, so you can’t say that we’re not doing our bit to provide local housing. This proposal from Boningale Homes is just pure greed and, you can tell by its scattergun approach, that it’s just throwing lots of applications around hoping that one sticks.”
She concluded: “The level of public objections has been fantastic. We were also buoyed with recent news confirming that the Local Plan does not need to be revised upwards in line with the new NPPF consultation proposals.”
Extensive public consultation
A spokesperson for Boningale Homes said: “We thank everyone who has taken the time to comment on our plans for new homes in Albrighton.
“We carried out an extensive public consultation process prior to submitting our planning application and are aware of concerns.
“However, we are confident this is a very positive scheme for Albrighton which delivers key facilities as well as new homes.
“This proposal is an important step towards meeting the need for good quality housing across Shropshire and the Black Country.
“Benefits to the local community include a care home, minor injuries unit, a pharmacy and GP surgery, a secondary school for up to 750 pupils and a supermarket.
“We look forward to the application being discussed by Shropshire Council.”
Albrighton Village Action Group
Albrighton Village Action Group has already raised over £10,000 towards supporting its campaign and is hosting several charity events in the coming months.
This includes a special ‘Consuming Passions’ performance by Albrighton Players Drama Group on September 12th and an evening with ex-professional football striker Micky Quinn on October 4th.
