Full Breakdown
Housing Secretary Takes Final Say on Controversial 800-Home Green Belt Scheme in Shropshire
By Drooid · · How we work
Decision Over the Albrighton Development
The government has instructed that Housing Secretary Angela Rayner will make the ultimate determination on Boningale Homes’ proposal to build roughly 800 homes on land classified as green belt south of Albrighton, Shropshire. The appeal, originally slated for a planning inspector’s decision, was redirected to the Secretary of State after the inspector highlighted “important or novel” development-control issues. The public inquiry, which began in Shrewsbury, will finish on October 9, after which Rayner will issue her ruling.
Planning Reform Context
The proposal rests on planning reforms introduced by the Labour government under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, which allow certain lower-quality or underused green-belt sites to be re-designated as “grey belt” to accelerate housebuilding. The administration’s broader goal is to deliver 1.5 million new homes across England by the end of the current parliamentary term in 2029, a target Rayner has described as having only a “slim chance” of being met. The Albrighton site covers about 120 acres and would add an 80-room care home, a secondary school and a local centre, expanding the village’s population by an estimated 40 percent. Local housing need has been quantified as a 3.1-year shortfall.
Official Positions and Responses
Rayner reiterated the government’s commitment to the 1.5 million-home target despite the acknowledged difficulty. A spokesperson for Shropshire Council confirmed that the council will continue to present its case during the inquiry and will keep residents informed. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded.
Opposition and Local Reaction
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin and a vocal opponent of the scheme, called the Secretary of State’s intervention “chillingly egregious,” warning that it sets a precedent for converting England’s green belt into grey belt. The Albrighton Development Action Group (ADAG), acting as a Rule 6 party in the inquiry, has staged protest walks and argues that the land remains productive farmland and core green belt. ADAG maintains confidence that both the planning inspector and Rayner will dismiss the appeal based on the National Planning Policy Framework.