Council bids to extend its borders

Bridgnorth Town Council has backed an application for a review of its borders, which if approved could have implications for the neighbouring villages Tasley, Quatt and Morville.

A report considered by Bridgnorth Councillors at Tuesday night's meeting stated that "the request is being made in light of residential development, which has extended beyond the town’s existing boundaries in recent years".

The proposal was agreed and the town council will submit its request to Shropshire Council which will make a final decision on the matter.

A 2015 request to review the boundaries was rejected by Shropshire Council because of the scale and "contentious nature" of the proposals, and the likelihood of completing it before last year's local council elections.

Councillor David Ball of Tasley Parish Council said they would resist any attempt to incorporate the authority under Bridgnorth's authority.

He said: "We learned about this on Monday and rather feel it has been sprung on us again.

“We’ve given consideration to these plans, as we were told for the first time on Monday.

“We are more than happy to work alongside Bridgnorth Town Council regarding issues such as planning.

“However we are totally opposed to being annexed into being part of Bridgnorth, as we believe we are merely being used bolster their financial gain.”

Councillor Ball said that he believed Tasley's residents did not want to fall under the governance of Bridgnorth Council.

He said: “We believe the review is premature. There has been a lot of speculation about what will happen in regards to planning east of the River Severn, but nothing is yet certain.

“Talking to residents, they don’t wish to be governed by Bridgnorth Town Council, they see this as more of a land grab by Bridgnorth rather than a move which will benefit them."

Reviews of council boundaries are an issue facing many town councils across Shropshire, including Ludlow and Oswestry, added Councillor Ball.

“We are more than happy to liaise with Bridgnorth but Tasley is a separate village with its own identity - and people want to keep it that way,” he added.

The town council will make its submissions to Shropshire Council which will consider the borders issue at a later date.