Planning Minister in visit to Shropshire

Shropshire’s positive approach to planning, encouraging the creation of new housing and economic growth, has been praised by a top Government minister.

Nick Boles MP, Minister for Planning and Development, visited Shropshire Council on Thursday 16 May 2013 to hear about the authority’s work to involve local people in the future planning of their area.

He met groups from Kinnerley, Much Wenlock and Neenton to talk about the work they have been doing to drive forward local involvement in planning.

Shropshire is one of the leading areas in the country in neighbourhood planning, when communities produce their own neighbourhood plan of local priorities, which is then formally adopted as policy by the council.

Mr Boles was also talking about the council’s strategic work to ensure new development can take place – where appropriate – without red tape getting in the way.

Discussions also took place about making it easier for people to build their own homes, with a look at plans for a new development of self-build homes in Shrewsbury, and a visit to two finished properties in Prees.

Mr Boles said:

“The theory the Government is working to is that if you give local communities more power over planning in their area, they will embrace more development, so the best way of getting much-needed houses built is to put communities in charge of the process.

“Shropshire is leading the way on this, and was doing so even before the Localism Act came in, showing that when you do this, communities really do embrace development rather than fighting it.”

Councillor Malcolm Price, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for planning, said:

“It was a really interesting and useful visit, and we would like to thank Nick for taking the time to come and talk to us.  I think he was impressed with the positive work we are doing in partnership with communities in Shropshire, and gave us some good ideas to consider for the future.”

Picture shows, from left: Council leader Keith Barrow, Nick Boles MP, Carl Huntley of Base Architects, and Nick Wood of Shropshire Council.