THE fight to save a community meadow in Ludlow Town Centre may not have been won after all.

Campaigners who have been fighting to save the area of land in Castle View Terrace may have started to celebrate too soon.

Shropshire Homes had submitted an application to build seven houses on the site, later reducing this to six.

But the application was rejected by Shropshire planners on the grounds that it was not a site that had been identified for housing and that building on the site would be too damaging to local amenities.

But in a new turn it seems that the Housing Association may appeal the refusal and seek to get it overturned.

Andy Boddington, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North, found out by accident that the planning decision may be challenged.

“I was talking to Shropshire Homes,” he said.

“My call was entirely unrelated to Castle View Terrace. But it was inevitable that our conversation would turn to the most controversial application in Ludlow for years. I learnt that Shropshire Homes is going to appeal Shropshire Council’s refusal of the scheme for six homes that would destroy the last remaining pasture in East Hamlet.”

“Ludlow won the first stage of the battle after the planning application was rejected. We now must fight on.

“Shropshire Homes believes it has good grounds for the appeal. I will believe that when I see the arguments the company puts forward to the planning inspector. I probably won’t believe it then. There are no grounds for approving this scheme.

“It’s a black and white case. It doesn’t matter how good the design of the scheme is, we don’t need the housing. And we can’t afford to lose green space in an area of town that lacks it. The scheme is against policy and it is against the wishes of Ludlow.

“Shropshire Homes should now wave the white flag and negotiate with residents.”