A WHITTINGTON resident believes there is too much traffic passing through to continue with more housing developments.

Neil Morris, who lives in Penybryn Avenue, says that a potential affordable housing development behind his road by Shropshire Towns and Rural (STAR) Housing, from Shropshire Council, will create more traffic in the village.

And he says he will be monitoring traffic levels through Whittington to give Shropshire Council an idea of how much there already is before any plans are submitted.

"For myself, it is because the amount of traffic we have got in Penybryn Avenue," said Neil.

"There’s 237 vehicles in that road alone and there’s only 86 houses, and two of them are empty. That’s a lot of traffic and 98 per cent of them are in and out of Penybryn during the week.

"There’s 400 houses over the next few years. It was only a little hamlet when I was born but it’s getting bigger now and we’re near enough touching Oswestry and Gobowen, and we’re only 100 yards from each.

"I’ve sent pictures of the traffic to Highways because they want to pump hundreds of gallons of water from this field because it’s always flooded.

"They’re proposing to send four months’ worth of lorries from different builders merchants over the bridleway which they’re not able to do because of no access road.

"Here, they’ve got to drain the field, they’ve got to fence it all around – it will cost thousands. They’ve got to wall off the side of the road and across the field and that’s a big expense for public money.

"We’re doing a road traffic survey this week too, checking out to Ellesmere and Whitchurch, and down to Gobowen and Oswestry, and we’ll be checking on traffic."

However, Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council's Whittington representative, believes it is too early to write off any development, which he says is needed, as much of the detail has not yet been announced.

He said: ""I am on the working group that has been put together, to work with residents to mitigate their concerns. The group is made up or parish councillors, Star housing Officers and several residents from Penybryn Avenue.

"The group is meeting virtually on a regular basis to discuss, layout, design and tenure of the properties. Road layout is one of many factors that gets raised by the residents on the group, each of these are debated fully and a consensus of opinion is usually found within the group.

"While I accept that some residents will be against the proposal as they may or may not have the full facts. There will be an opportunity for all residents to comment on the proposals as part of the planning process.

"This isn’t about being for or against, it is about providing an affordable homes for people with a strong local link to the village.

"Based on a recent 'Right Home , Right Place' survey and the demand measured from the home point system, the community-led scheme being developed is aimed to supply affordable homes to meet the established demand."