Council surprised as homes plan hearings suspended

Housing inspectors cancelled further hearings into the authority's plans because of "serious concerns"

Housing inspectors have suspended hearings into a long-term housing plan for Shropshire that has taken the county council by surprise.

The authority submitted the proposals in 2021, outlining sites suitable for development, dating back from 2016 all the way to 2038.

A total of 31,000 homes feature in the plan, including 600 in Tasley near Bridgnorth, 300 in Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, and 600 as part of the re-development of Ironbridge power station site.

Inspectors put the plan on hold, after raising "serious concerns". The council said it could not comment further until it got more details of those issues.

A two-week hearing was held into the plans last month, and further sessions were planned over the three weeks from 18 November.

But in a letter to the council, examining inspectors Louise Crosby and Elaine Worthington said they "considered it would not be appropriate" to proceed with the further examination.

Details of the concerns have not yet been revealed - the inspectors said they would be detailed in a separate letter as soon as possible.

High-level overview

Local plans are drawn up by councils every few years, as an assessment of where new homes and workplaces can be provided in their areas.

While not getting into the detail of design or delivery of individual schemes, which remain the subject of detailed planning permission, they give a high-level overview of sites earmarked for development.

They are a measure of how local authorities plan to meet government housing targets and deliver a supply of land for new development.

Without such a blueprint, it is harder for councils to reject unwanted planning applications.

The inspectors said they understood the council would be "disappointed" with their decision, but had come to it after careful consideration of evidence from the authority and those making representations about it.

In response, the council said it was surprised by the delay, and had worked positively to address specific issues raised so far by the inspectors in the long-running process.

“Until we receive a more detailed explanation from the inspectors of the issues they are raising and want further assurance on, we can’t make any further comment," it said in a statement. 

"Once we can clearly understand what these issues are, we will seek to respond so that hearing sessions can resume as quickly as possible.

The council said it remained committed to delivering a plan that would promote sustainable development, and housing and employment in excess of minimum requirements.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.