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Protecting Shropshire

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31 March 2009

"Will the new unitary authority spread bland uniformity across the county?" This is the question being asked by CPRE Shropshire as the county's five District Councils are abolished. "We are very concerned that the new unitary authority will bring a uniform model to planning strategy across the county and with it a one-size-fits-all approach to all areas of the county", says CPRE's Andy Boddington. [1] "Shropshire is a wonderfully diverse county and we should not expect that polices that work well for Oswestry will also work well in Ludlow. It is time for county planners to raise their game. "

CPRE's concerns have been raised by the recently ended consultation on unitary planning. [2] Andy continues "The planners have recognised that there are five quite distinct areas of Shropshire but they seem to be ignoring these in drawing up their plans for the county's future. [3] It is not just a matter of differences in the character of the landscape and buildings, but of diverse communities and the varied ways they work, shop, learn and play. We are worried that a uniform approach will lead to the loss of local character and to a creeping blandness across Shropshire." [4]

CPRE is calling on the new unitary authority to bring fresh ideas to county planning. Andy Boddington says "The new unitary authority offers an opportunity to bring fresh ideas into county planning. We need bold policies that protect Shropshire's cherished landscapes, our villages and our market towns. We urgently need a major commitment to tackle climate change. We need a vision that will bring renewed life to our rural communities and to the economy of our countryside."

He continues "We are looking to Shropshire Council to promote a living, working countryside that is equally at home with its roles in employment and leisure. We are seeking a council that provides affordable housing near to where people work, and creates opportunities for businesses to prosper. We need a council that understands that developments need not be intrusive. New buildings should be carefully tucked into the folds of rural landscape and built in scale and sympathy with local building styles. Sadly, what we have seen so far from officers preparing for the unitary authority falls far short of this vision. It is vital that Shropshire Council, when its councillors are elected, raises its game."

Notes

[1] Andy Boddington is a member of the Executive Committee of CPRE Shropshire and lives in Clun, South Shropshire. CPRE Shropshire has been campaigning to protect Shropshire's countryside for sixty years. It is part of the national CPRE charity. Our website is cpreshropshire.org.uk.

[2] Every planning authority has a statutory duty to develop a Local Development Framework (LDF) to guide development of houses, employment areas, roads etc. over twenty years. At the heart of the LDF is the Core Strategy. The Implementation Executive for the new unitary Shropshire Council issued its Issues and Options paper for the Core Strategy on 26 January. This set out a vision for the future of the Shropshire, including how much development will be allowed and where it will go. The consultation closed on 9 March. The consultation documents are at: http://tinyurl.com/coreplan. CPRE Shropshire's full response can be found at: www.cpreshropshire.org.uk

[3] These "spatial zones" are similar to the areas covered by the outgoing Districts Shrewsbury and Atcham, South Shropshire, Bridgnorth, North Shropshire and Oswestry, though the boundary between the latter two is placed near Wem rather than further west (see Figure 3.1 of Shropshire Core Strategy: Issues and Options).

[4] CPRE has set out ten principles for a thriving future for Shropshire. These place the natural and historic environment at the centre of the life and economy of the county:

1. The natural and historic environment should be placed at the centre of the life and economy of the county.

2. Planning should recognise local distinctiveness, and developments in the countryside should be sympathetic with local building styles and in scale with the landscape.

3. Green spaces in town and country should championed as a vital contribution to people's well-being and to biodiversity.

4. Planning policies must reduce the impact of development on climate change and build settlements which are resilient to the consequences of changing climate, such as flooding.

5. Housing should be built for identified local need near to where jobs are, not to meet speculative government targets of national need.

6. Affordable housing should be built where it is needed, close to where people work and where their families live, especially in rural settlements.

7. Planners should promote innovation and enterprise throughout the county to increase wealth of its citizens, and must avoid creating a jobs boom that leads to inward migration and commuting.

8. Planning policy for transport should aim reduce the impact of commuting and transit of goods on the environment.

9. Shrewsbury should concentrate on its role as a county town rather than trying to compete with Telford as a major centre in the West Midlands.

10. The county's market towns must be strengthened as places of employment, as well as for shopping, health, education and leisure.

Further Information

• Unitary planning