Watch: Hundreds of residents gather at meeting to voice opposition on planned 800-home development
Hundreds of residents gathered at a Shropshire village on Thursday evening to voice their objections on proposals to build 800 homes in the parish.
Despite torrential rain, The Red House in Albrighton near Shifnal was at full capacity with people standing outside as Boningale Homes' detailed its plans to the villagers and the local MP.
The housing plans, revealed in March, will see the homes built on 56 hectares of land between Newhouse Lane and Cross Road, which is predominantly green belt.
While no planning permission has yet been applied for, more than 3,200 signatures have been gathered on a petition and villagers have formed the the Albrighton Village Action Group (AVAG) to oppose the plans.
The group has raised more than £3,200 of a target of £15-20k to fund professional and legal expertise to fight the plans if they are submitted to Shropshire Council.
Claire Lakin, spokesperson for the Albrighton Village Action Group, said the number of people at the meeting at the Red House in Albrighton showed the “strength of feeling” towards the proposals that could see Albrighton double in size.
She said: ”We have had 70 per cent of the residents in Albrighton sign our petition who object to the proposals. Our main objection is that this proposal is on green belt land and is not in the local plan for Shropshire.
“We are not against development but there is already a Boningale Homes development in Albrighton and there are 770 homes allocated in the local plan for the village, and now they now want to add 800 more. It is outrageous.”
