SAVE WINNEY HILL! Protests outside Shirehall ahead of Winney Hill inquiry

Shrewsbury Town’s Liberal Democrats call for residents to be listened to and for the development to be stopped.  A protest took place in front of Shirehall this morning (24th January 2023) ahead of a planning inspector’s investigation of the Winney Hill development near Herongate, Shrewsbury. Days before the public inquiry, after a last minute £1.3 million 'sweetener' Shropshire Council  wants to u-turn and drop all opposition to the scheme to concrete over Winney Hill with a nursing home and 164 flats.

Last week, Hencote offered a Unilateral Undertaking to pay an extra £1.3 million for ‘affordable’ housing - and followed it up with another huge legal opinion claiming the Council was duty bound to accept because of ‘planning gain’. Kelvin Hall, the Planning Officer due to lead for Shirehall initially said the offer is late and should be set aside - but that if the offer is considered
“then the Council’s evidence … will be that there are no reasons to withhold permission.”

In a brief email, inquiry inspector Louise Nurser said she would consider the new offer - but the public inquiry at Shirehall must still go ahead. Kelvin Hall then signed a new 'joint statement of common ground' with Hencote dropping the Council's opposition. Protests were organised by Herongate resident and local camapigner Ben Jephcott, joined by the town’s Liberal Democrat councillors.

Local health campaigner Alex Wagner said: “Winney Hill is an important local landmark and the repeated efforts to develop on it are rightly being met with fierce resistance by local residents.  We back them all the way, and I was proud to be out campaigning in Herongate and in front of Shirehall this morning alongside them. We can’t lose sight of the fact that Shirehall’s own social services and elderly care team objected themselves to this. They fear the burden it will put on Shrewsbury’s NHS and the already dire local shortages of nurses and social care staff, and will have to deal with the mess this would
cause first-hand.”  Herongate resident Ben Jephcott added: “Winney Hill is a much-loved local landmark, which isoutside the local plan. We have to save it and stop traffic chaos on Ellesmere Road. Residents have a good case and deserve to be listened to - Shirehall must not surrender.”