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Contentious plans for a 3,000-home development in Tong, Shropshire, are likely to be rejected, according to comments made by the council’s leader last week.
Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire, Peter Nutting, leader of Shropshire Council, said: “I think there’s general agreement that Tong is likely to be dropped from the housing plan for Shropshire and that we can produce enough houses without going near Tong.”
Mr Nutting said he expects planning officers to suggest they go ahead with the development when it is presented to cabinet in February, but thinks politicians in the Conservative-led council will reject it.
Plans for the 3,000-home green belt development, put forward by Bradford Estates, have been heavily criticised by local groups which argued that Shropshire was being asked to develop homes in order to help neighbouring authorities.
This was following an agreement by Shropshire Council’s cabinet to look for land to develop following a request from the Association of Black Country Authorities, representing Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell and Wolverhampton councils, who said it did not have enough land to meet its housing shortfall.
When asked whether Shropshire Council should be asked to help neighbouring authorities, Mr Nutting said: “There needs to be a degree of we’re all in it together and we should help each other but there’s been a change of attitude, particularly since Boris Johnson became prime minister, and there’s now more and more reliance on brownfield sites over greenfield sites.”
He said housing secretary Robert Jenrick “is certainly pushing the idea of brownfield sites being used to meet the housing numbers in the Black Country and that’s something I support”.
Clive Wright, chief executive of Shropshire Council, said no formal decisions have been taken at this stage and so cannot comment further.