Shropshire Council Green Belt Release Exceptional Circumstances Statement Published: December 2020 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 4 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT .................................................................................................. 4 GREEN BELT IN SHROPSHIRE .............................................................................................. 4 2. DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCAL PLAN ....................................................................... 7 THE CURRENT LOCAL PLAN ................................................................................................. 7 THE LOCAL PLAN REVIEW ................................................................................................... 7 CONSULTATION .................................................................................................................. 7 EVIDENCE BASE ................................................................................................................. 8 Site Assessment ........................................................................................................... 8 3. POLICY CONTEXT ....................................................................................................... 10 NATIONAL POLICY ............................................................................................................. 10 LOCAL POLICY .................................................................................................................. 11 EMERGING LOCAL POLICY - DRAFT SHROPSHIRE LOCAL PLAN 2016-2038 ........................... 14 DUTY TO COOPERATE ....................................................................................................... 21 4. GREEN BELT RELEASE PROPOSED IN SHROPSHIRE ........................................... 23 5. ALBRIGHTON ............................................................................................................... 24 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 24 THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................... 24 PROPOSED GREEN BELT RELEASE .................................................................................... 25 GREEN BELT ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW ............................................................................ 27 OTHER PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................. 28 ASSESSMENT OF ALL OTHER REASONABLE OPTIONS .......................................................... 30 EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ......................................................................................... 32 Supporting the Role and Function of Albrighton in the Future .................................... 32 Meeting Local Needs in the Future ............................................................................. 33 Sustainable Patterns of Development ......................................................................... 33 Green Belt Performance ............................................................................................. 34 SITE BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................ 34 COMPENSATORY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN BELT ........................................................ 35 6. ALVELEY ...................................................................................................................... 37 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 37 THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................... 37 PROPOSED GREEN BELT RELEASE .................................................................................... 38 GREEN BELT ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW ............................................................................ 39 OTHER PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................. 40 ASSESSMENT OF OTHER REASONABLE OPTIONS ................................................................. 42 IDENTIFICATION OF GREEN BELT LOCATIONS ...................................................................... 43 COMPENSATORY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN BELT ........................................................ 44 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 45 Green Belt Release: Exceptional Circumstances Statement Page 1 7. BRIDGNORTH (STANMORE) ...................................................................................... 46 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 46 BACKGROUND - BRIDGNORTH ............................................................................................ 46 BACKGROUND - STANMORE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE ................................................................. 47 THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................... 48 PROPOSED GREEN BELT RELEASE .................................................................................... 51 GREEN BELT ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW ............................................................................ 52 OTHER PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................. 53 ASSESSMENT OF ALL OTHER REASONABLE OPTIONS .......................................................... 54 Alternative Options to the Expansion of Stanmore Industrial Estate ........................... 55 Alternative Options for the Expansion of Stanmore Industrial Estate ......................... 57 EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ......................................................................................... 57 Supporting the Role of Stanmore Industrial Estate ..................................................... 58 Supporting the medium- and long-term needs of existing businesses ........................ 59 Attracting new businesses, particularly those in the ‘engineering and advanced manufacturing’ sector ................................................................................................. 60 Supporting the Strategic Role of Bridgnorth ............................................................... 60 Supporting the Aspirations of the Economic Growth Strategy for Shropshire ............. 60 Green Belt Performance ............................................................................................. 62 SITE BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................ 62 COMPENSATORY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN BELT ........................................................ 63 8. SHIFNAL ....................................................................................................................... 65 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 65 BACKGROUND - SHIFNAL ................................................................................................... 66 THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................... 69 PROPOSED GREEN BELT RELEASE .................................................................................... 71 GREEN BELT ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW ............................................................................ 73 OTHER PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................. 75 ASSESSMENT OF ALL OTHER REASONABLE OPTIONS .......................................................... 78 EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ......................................................................................... 81 Addressing the ‘dormitory’ characteristics of Shifnal................................................... 82 M54 Strategic Corridor and ‘unmet’ need in the Black Country .................................. 83 Supporting the Aspirations of the Economic Growth Strategy for Shropshire ............. 83 Strategic Role and Function of Shifnal ........................................................................ 86 Improving existing provision for employment development ........................................ 86 Meeting the needs of business ................................................................................... 88 Community Vitality ...................................................................................................... 88 Settlement Sustainability – investment programme .................................................... 89 Settlement Sustainability – structural constraints ....................................................... 90 Green Belt Performance ............................................................................................. 90 SITE BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................ 91 COMPENSATORY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN BELT ........................................................ 94 9. RAF COSFORD STRATEGIC SITE .............................................................................