A group of Oswestry residents has launched a campaign opposing plans for a major housing development on land off Mount Road.
The newly formed Mount Road Planning Action Group is encouraging local people to examine and comment on outline planning application 26/02084/OUT, submitted by Wain Estates for a development of up to 335 homes.
The proposals include public open space, drainage works and a main access from Mount Road, with the application currently being considered by Shropshire Council.
Residents behind the campaign say they are concerned about the potential impact a development of this scale could have on traffic, road safety, local services, flooding and drainage, as well as the surrounding countryside and Oswestry’s heritage.
One of the main issues being highlighted by the group is the proposed access onto the downhill 60mph section of Mount Road. Campaigners believe the development could result in a significant increase in traffic, with their campaign literature estimating around 1,800 additional vehicle movements each day.
They say this could place further pressure on Mount Road and other routes and junctions through the town, including Hampton Rise, Oakhurst Road, Park Avenue and Willow Street.
The group has also raised concerns about the potential additional demand on local schools, GP surgeries, dentists and other services if hundreds of new homes are built.
Flooding and drainage are among the other issues being highlighted. Campaigners point to previous flooding below the proposed site and say residents want assurances about how surface water and drainage would be managed should the development go ahead.
The potential impact on the local landscape has also become a focus of the campaign. The group says the site forms part of the Oswestry Uplands landscape and includes wildlife habitat and protected trees.
Residents have additionally raised concerns about the possible visual and heritage impact of the development, including its effect on the setting of The Hayes, a Grade II listed building*, and views across the surrounding open countryside.
The campaign group also fears that approval of the development could make further housing development on land higher up the hill more likely in the future.
As part of its campaign, the Mount Road Planning Action Group is distributing information to local residents explaining how they can make their views known through the formal planning process.
The group is stressing that responses previously made to Wain Estates during its consultation were not formal representations to Shropshire Council and that anyone wishing to support, object to or otherwise comment on the application needs to submit their views directly to the council.
Residents can find the application by searching for reference 26/02084/OUT on Shropshire Council’s online planning register. The campaign leaflet currently asks people to submit comments before 17 August, although it notes that the date is subject to change.
The application remains under consideration by Shropshire Council. The concerns being highlighted by the Mount Road Planning Action Group represent the views of residents campaigning against the proposals, with the planning authority responsible for considering representations alongside the application, relevant planning policies and other material planning considerations.
Church Street, Oswestry – Courtesy of Graham Mitchell.
