Why a village desperately doesn't want to be 'a village' any more

Albrighton in Shropshire has all the hallmarks of a typical large rural village in England.

It has a popular community centre, cricket club, village green and parish council. And the land surrounding its boundary is almost entirely fields, except on its western edge where an RAF base has existed since the 1930s.

Until recently, almost nobody living in Albrighton would have considered this 6th Century settlement large enough to be a town. But that has changed.

Referring to Albrighton as "a village" in front of some of its residents could now result in a telling-off - especially by members of a campaign group who are ardently fighting against 800 homes being built on adjoining green belt land.

Some of the group's old campaign boards and banners, placed near key road junctions in the area, on which Albrighton had been described as a "village," have either been taken down or had the word covered up.

And that is because, how Albrighton is considered according to new planning policy and guidance, could determine whether the controversial housing estate is approved or rejected next year.

Here is why.

For decades, "purpose A" of green belt policy has been to stop "large built-up areas" from expanding uncontrollably into the surrounding countryside.

In the case of Shropshire, the West Midlands Green Belt, which circles Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country, has prevented the metropolis expanding into rural neighbouring counties.

But updated guidance published in 2025 by the Labour government stated for the first time that "villages should not be considered large built-up areas".

For Albrighton, not being deemed a village, but instead being categorised as "a large built-up area," would mean that its own sprawl would have to be prevented - adding weight to the argument that the farmland earmarked for 800 homes is serving a purpose within the green belt.

Campaigners, as well as Shropshire Council, which rejected Boningale Homes proposal in December, are hoping that this argument will prevent the 48 hectares of land off Patshull Road being built on.

Yet, if it is determined that the land does not "strongly contribute" to purpose A, and makes a "weak" or "moderate" contribution to the overall purposes of the green belt, then it may be identified as "grey belt" and lose its protected status.

It was a point of contention during a 12-day planning appeal hearing, which concluded in Shrewsbury last month.

The council's expert witness, principal planner Will Hossack, argued that Albrighton's population now exceeded 5,000 due to recent housing developments - enough to be considered a "larger village or small town," according to the Office of National Statistics' classification of built up areas in the 2021 census.

He further argued in his report that Albrighton's public services and amenities, with its multiple schools, leisure facilities, pubs and three grocery stores, meant it resembled more of a market town than village.

Boningale Homes' barrister, Chris Katkowski OBE KC, challenged Hossack's claim.

He said the West Midlands Green Belt was introduced to restrict the sprawl of "major conurbations", not small settlements such as Albrighton.

He also highlighted several of Shropshire Council's key planning documents, in which Albrighton was described as "a village" - yet other council reports describe Albrighton as a "small town", "market town", "key centre" and "large built-up area".

Campaigners in the Albrighton Development Action Group said in a statement that, "Albrighton is more than a village, so should not be described as one".

The group has used extracts from the book The History of Albrighton, in which the settlement was described by the author as "a township" as far back as 1799, to support their claim.

The area's Conservative MP Mark Pritchard, who gave evidence during the appeal hearing, would not be drawn into an argument over its status.

"I think it's for experts in human geography to define towns or villages," he said.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner will have the final say on the Boningale Homes proposal after requesting that the planning inspector who presided over the hearing submits recommendations for her to consider, rather than determining the case himself.

Rayner "called in" the appeal last month while the 12-day hearing was under way.

Pritchard described her intervention as "chillingly egregious".

But a letter sent on her behalf said the appeal raised "important or novel issues" and involved "significant development in the green belt". A decision is expected in 2027.

The government is aiming to build 1.5 million homes in England by the next election, although ministers have acknowledged the target will be difficult to achieve.

Boningale Homes has declined to comment until after the case has been determined.

The developer has previously argued that the development would help make Albrighton "a sustainable and vibrant location to live for generations," as well as addressing "the worsening unmet need for new homes in Shropshire".

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