More than half of the 32-acre site off Aston Road would be opened up to the community as a landscaped space, with play areas, a community orchard, a new meadow, and new walking routes.

The development would increase biodiversity on the site by 12.6 per cent, exceeding the 10 per cent requirement set by Government.

Affordable housing would make up 20 per cent of the homes – double the amount required under local housing policy for Wem.

Sarah Jones, Strategic Land and Planning Manager for Bellway’s Central region, said:

“When we identify new sites for development, it is important that they are in a location that is sustainable, and that they make a positive contribution to local housing stock, the local community and the environment.

“This site off Aston Road is close to the town centre, a 10-minute walk from Wem railway station and is well served by bus routes. The development would help to alleviate the significant shortfall of affordable homes in Wem and Shropshire as a whole, where 6,685 households are currently on the Housing Register.

“In addition, we have the opportunity to create new parkland, meadows, an orchard and play spaces which would benefit the whole community. This would be a biodiverse and ecologically-rich new neighbourhood.”

Bellway Strategic Land held a public consultation on the plans earlier this year. Shropshire Council will now assess the application and will consult with the community.

If this outline application is approved, a reserved matters planning application will then be required to agree the detail of all aspects of the development.

As part of the planning process, Bellway Strategic Land would agree contributions to local infrastructure such as education, healthcare and highways.

More detail on the proposals can be seen at https://www.astonroadwem.co.uk/

To find out more about Bellway’s developments in Shropshire, see here.