Help decide where Shropshire builds homes and creates jobs
Shropshire Council has officially opened a county-wide consultation to define the blueprint for local development over the next two decades. Starting today, 20 May 2026, residents and business owners are being asked to contribute to the new Local Plan, a document that will dictate where new housing estates, industrial hubs, and essential infrastructure are situated until 2046.
This scoping phase follows a Cabinet decision on 6 May to refresh the county’s planning strategy. Unlike later stages of the process, this initial window does not focus on specific fields or street-level plots. Instead, it seeks to establish the high-level priorities for how Shropshire should grow sustainably while protecting its natural and historic assets. This includes a coordinated approach to the Minerals and Waste Plan, ensuring that environmental protection is baked into the county’s industrial future.
Shaping Shropshire’s vision through 2046
The Local Plan serves as the primary framework for all planning decisions in the county. It balances the urgent need for new residents’ facilities with the preservation of Shropshire’s unique rural character. By setting these priorities now, the council aims to ensure that future growth is led by community needs rather than reactive developer proposals.
This strategic refresh comes at a time when the local authority is also looking at broader housing improvements and financial stability across its departments. The scoping consultation specifically asks for views on how future development should be planned sustainably and what types of evidence—such as population trends or environmental data—should be used to justify future planning decisions.
David Walker, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning, emphasized that this is the earliest opportunity for the public to intervene. He noted that by getting involved now, residents can play a direct role in ensuring the right development happens in the right places, reflecting the actual ambitions of those who live and work in the county.
Where to meet planning officers in person
To facilitate detailed discussions, a series of drop-in sessions has been scheduled across the county throughout June. These events allow residents to speak directly with planning policy officers, view supporting technical documents, and understand how their feedback will be utilized in the next stages of the plan’s preparation.
| Location | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ludlow Library | 2 June | 1pm – 3pm |
| Whitchurch Library | 2 June | 2pm – 4pm |
| Oswestry Library | 4 June | 10am – 12pm |
| Shifnal Library | 12 June | 10am – 12pm |
| Albrighton Library | 16 June | 10am – 12pm |
| Broseley Library | 16 June | 2pm – 4pm |
| Shrewsbury Guildhall | 17 June | 2pm – 4pm |
| Bishop’s Castle Library | 18 June | 10am – 12pm |
| Market Drayton (Festival Drayton Centre) | 19 June | 9.30am – 4pm |
| Highley Library | 26 June | 10am – 12pm |
How to submit your views by July 15
The consultation period is set to run until 15 July 2026. Beyond the physical drop-in sessions, all supporting documents and response forms are hosted on the Shropshire Council website. The feedback gathered during this eight-week window will be reviewed to inform the draft proposals and site-specific options that will emerge in subsequent years.
While this plan focuses on long-term land use, it intersects with other ongoing council efforts to improve local living standards, such as updated waste management strategies and infrastructure maintenance. The council has confirmed that further public consultations will follow as the Local Plan progresses through its formal legal stages, but this initial scoping phase remains the most influential point for setting the overall direction of Shropshire’s growth.
Source: Shropshire Council Newsroom
