Exclusive by ANNA WOOD
Council bosses are considering giving derelict housing sites in Shrewsbury a £24million injection to kickstart development, the Shrewsbury Chronicle can reveal.
Borough councillors are due to discuss plans next week which could see capital investment ploughed into the old MEB site on Ditherington Road, the Copthorne South hospital site and land at Arlington Way which all lie dormant. The idea to progress development of up to 400 homes, which already have planning permission on the three sites, will be considered by the borough council on Monday.
Options being discussed include purchasing the former MEB site from Persimmon Homes and the Copthorne South site, owned by English Partnerships, as well as working with the agencies to further the sites.
Plans would also include increasing the percentage of affordable homes on those sites using investment from the West Midlands Housing Corporation.
Andy Goldsmith, borough assistant council manager, said discussions were at a very early stage.
“There are a number of sites which have planning permission with capacity for 400 homes,” he said.
“The ideal suggestion is do we release some of the £24 million the council has got to inject into these sites to kickstart development on them?
“There is a demand and we’ve a high need for affordable homes.”
He said the Housing Corporation holds £40million which has not yet been allocated for schemes across the region and SABC would be looking to access that.
The matter will be discussed on Monday night’s council meeting and will then go forward to the Implementation Executive of Shropshire Council.
No one was available from Persimmon Homes nor English Partnerships as the Chronicle went to press.