The Parish of Church Stretton comprises the town and the villages of All Stretton, Botvyle, Horderley, Little Stretton, Marshbrook and Minton, together “The Strettons”
The Strettons lie entirely within the Shropshire Hills National Landscape – designated as an Area of Outstanding National Beauty designated in 1958.
The Shropshire Hills National Landscape has the highest level of protection from inappropriate building
Planning and other legislation
Authorities such as Shropshire Council have a legal duty to conserve and enhance the landscape under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 and National Planning Policy Framework
Shropshire Council is the local planning authority for the Strettons. The Council agrees local planning policies. Any major development outside Church Strettons development boundary is contrary to Council policies CS5, MD7a, MD12 and S5.1.
Inappropriate development outside the development boundary undermines the expressed wishes of the local population in the Neighbourhood Plan
Shropshire Council has severe financial challenges; there are few professional planning staff in post
The Strettons Neighbourhood Plan (NHP) is almost there but not approved. The planned launch date is 2 February 2026
Currently, therefore planning applications have to be dealt with under national planning laws and guidance
The NHP is built on the results of the Housing Needs Survey which shows local people want one- and two-bedroomed dwellings built on brownfield sites close to the town centre
The threat
House builders are using this weakened position to make planning applications for greenfield sites outside the development boundary and in some instances in open country in the National Landscape
Housebuilders appear to prefer building large houses which can attract high purchase prices that local people cannot afford. These are not the homes needed in the Strettons. The Housing Needs Survey https://www.churchstretton-tc.gov.uk/2022/11/housing-needs-survey/ shows that the local community supports smaller one- and two-bedroomed dwellings built within the development boundary on brownfield sites. These survey results are a major piece of evidence for the NHP
Advice is that once one application outside the “development boundary” in the open countryside etc is approved, it will be a precedent and others will follow and be much harder to resist
There are only 21 days for objections or comments to be made once a planning application is submitted
The CPRE has produced a comprehensive guide on how to respond to planning applications.
Church Stretton Housing Plans 