More than 200 residents crowded into the Red House on Friday 4 September for the last public meeting before the planning inquiry into Boningale Developments' plans for Albrighton South.
Who spoke
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, restated his opposition to building on the site. Charlie Blakemore, co-chair of Albrighton Development Action Group (ADAG), told the room the village would fight the scheme at the inquiry, and Shropshire councillor Nigel Lumby also urged residents to stay involved.
The campaign in numbers
ADAG has been campaigning for around two and a half years. According to the group:
- 3,734 people have signed a petition against the scheme
- more than 1,100 formal objections have been lodged
- over 1,200 people have attended its public meetings
- it has raised around £82,000, including about £2,500 collected on the night and £2,600 from a garden party
The money pays for the planning and legal experts representing ADAG at the inquiry, where it is a Rule 6 party with the right to call evidence and cross-examine witnesses.
The land at stake
The site covers 48 hectares, or about 119 acres, of farmland and green belt on the southern edge of the village. Campaigners compare it to roughly 70 football pitches.
What came next
The meeting was followed by the Great Green Belt Walk on Saturday 12 September and the start of the public inquiry on 15 September. Days later the government confirmed the Secretary of State would make the final decision.
Boningale Developments' case for the scheme is set out in its appeal documents, which are published on Shropshire Council's inquiry page.
Sources
- Shropshire Live: Public meeting sends final message of opposition to plans for 800 homes in Albrighton (10 September 2026)
- Shropshire Council: Public inquiry, Patshull Road, Albrighton
This story was written by Albrighton.org.uk from the reports above. Spotted an error? Let us know.