Worthen With Shelve Parish Council Clusters Consultation

On the 27th of October, every resident of the Parish will have the opportunity to make their views known on the key issue of the Planning Status of your area, whether to remain in ‘cluster’ status or to instead become ‘open countryside’. Shropshire Council has currently defined three “Community Clusters” within the parish of Worthen With Shelve, each containing a number of “Settlements”. (Shropshire Council Site Allocations and management of Development (SAMDev) Plan 2015 – Section 2.2 (vii), (viii) and (x)).

The current listing of ‘Settlements’ within each ‘Community Cluster’ is as follows:
Cluster 1: Hope, Bentlawnt, Hopegate, Hemford, Meadowtown, Gravels (inc. Gravels Bank), Pentervin, Bromlow,
Middleton, Shelve, Lordstone
Cluster 2: Snailbeach, Stiperstones, Pennerley, Tankerville, Black Hole, Crow’s Net, The Bog
Cluster 3: Worthen, Brockton, Little Worthen, Little Brockton, Binweston, Leigh, Rowley, Aston Rogers, Aston Pigott

“Community Clusters” are comprised of two or more small “Settlements”, where the combined “Settlements” offer a range of services contributing to a sustainable community. Development will only be allowed within (and not between) “Settlements”. For planning purposes, the countryside between the “Settlements” is not part of the cluster. (Shropshire Council Adopted Core Strategy – Clause 4.68)

The significance of a group of houses in a rural area having “Settlement” status is that this influences the likelihood of planning consents being granted in that area. Within “Settlements” development by infilling or conversion may be allowed on acceptable sites. The term “infill” is not strictly defined by Shropshire Council. A working definition has however been provided by Shropshire Council as follows: an “infill” site consists of land with built development on at least two sides, which is clearly within the built form of a settlement. (Shropshire Local Plan Review - Consultation on Preferred Scale and Distribution of Development - October 2017).

The rural area between “Settlements” is considered countryside, where development is strictly controlled. (Shropshire Local Plan Review - Consultation on Preferred Scale and Distribution of Development - October 2017). For development in open countryside to be approved a clear local need would have to be demonstrated.

Worthen With Shelve Parish Council is holding three public meetings for those wishing to learn more about this issue at the following times:

Snailbeach Village Hall: Saturday 5th October 1300-1500
Worthen Village Hall: Saturday 12th October 1000-1200
Hope Village Hall: Saturday 12th October 1300-1500

Shropshire Council is offering the opportunity for clusters to indicate whether they wish to continue in that status, or instead revert to becoming open countryside in this advisory consultation. Voting will take place between 11.00-16.00 on October 27th, at the following locations dependent upon the cluster in which you reside.

Cluster 1: Hope Village Hall
Cluster 2: Snailbeach Village Hall
Cluster 3: Worthen Village Hall