Newsletter for Shifnal and Albrighton Residents
From Your Conservative Councillor
Dear Residents of Shifnal and Albrighton,
I am writing to you today to address some serious concerns regarding the future of our community under the current Labour government’s housing and local council policies. As your Conservative Councillor, I believe it is my duty to inform you about the potential risks these policies pose to Shifnal, Albrighton and Shropshire as a whole.
Increased Housing Targets
The Labour government has set a national target to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029. To meet this goal, Shropshire Council has been assigned an annual target of 1,994 new properties, a 34% increase over the number of homes built annually since 2021. This is a significant increase, and it will put immense pressure on our local infrastructure.
• In my opinion, our current infrastructure, including roads, schools, and healthcare, may not be able to cope with such a large influx of new residents.
• The council will be forced to identify new sites for building, which may extend beyond our current long-term plans and may include the use of “grey belt” areas which are low quality green belt land.
• While planning permission has been approved for 8,749 dwellings that have not yet been built, the supply figure required is much higher than the 1,994 stated by the government.
•It is unlikely that the government’s targets can be met given the current challenges in the housing market.
• The government is increasing costs for builders through changes to stamp duty and tightening rules for landlords.
• There are also shortages of construction workers that could increase costs and further slow down building.
• Many new homes are on hold because of a lack of funding for affordable housing.
Threat of Council Merger
Adding to these concerns is a worrying proposal from the Labour government to merge local councils. The government’s poor financial settlement for Shropshire Council is, according to the MP for Shrewsbury, a deliberate “stick” to force a merger with Telford Council. The MP for Shrewsbury has even suggested that this merger would save money, particularly in social care, but she does not appear to have spoken to Telford about this idea.
•Merging Shropshire Council with Telford would mean that our local concerns, such as the impact of increased housing on Shifnal, may get lost in a larger, more bureaucratic system.
• This action could lead to a loss of local focus and reduced responsiveness to the unique needs of our community.
• It could also mean that Shropshire will have to take on Telford’s financial burdens which are considerable as Telford Council are massively in debt!
What This Means for Shifnal
These policies pose significant risks for our community:
• Our beautiful rural character could be threatened by overdevelopment.
• Our local services may become overwhelmed.
• Our voice in local government could be diminished.
We Must Act Now
It is essential that we, as a community, raise our concerns with the Labour government about their approach. We must advocate for a more sensible approach that takes into account the unique needs of our community and the impact of increased housing development.
I will continue to fight for the interests of Shifnal and Shropshire, and I hope you will to contact me to share your views. Together, we can ensure that our community’s voice is heard by those in power.
Sincerely,
Your Conservative Councillor
Edward Bird.
Edward Bird - Councillor for Shifnal South and Cosford 