£30m plans for flax mill to go on display
Thursday 31st December 2009, 11:40AM GMT.
Plans for a new £30 million scheme to redevelop Shrewsbury’s historic flax mill are set to go on show to the public next week.
The artist’s impressions of the plans were unveiled for the first time earlier this month by owners English Heritage. The plans will be presented at the North East Shrewsbury Local Joint Committee on January 7 by Tim Greensmith, architect at Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios.
The designs include offices, a museum and up to 200 homes.
It is part of a masterplan for the 18th century flax mill which proposes a “historic core” at the site, operated by a non-profit making trust, with a new public garden and a canal marina.
The artist’s impressions show how the building may look on the outside and inside, including training rooms and offices and a new green corridor following the line of the former Shrewsbury and Newport canal.
Councillor Alan Mosley, Shropshire Councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington, said he was encouraging as many people as possible to attend the meeting.
He said: “We hope as many people as possible will come along to what promises to be an important and interesting meeting.
“Everyone in the area recognises the importance of the redevelopment of the Flax Mill for the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the area.
“The architects, who are currently working up plans, will give a presentation on the latest position and answer questions on this vital scheme.”
The latest plans for the site show how existing buildings would be upgraded and brought back into use and how homes and other buildings would be built on the land where the Arriva bus depot, Midland Red social club and former Salop Glass building currently stand.
Councillor Moseley added that last year the LJC was able to award £20,000 to schemes benefiting local residents and members will receive a report on the outcomes.
The committee meeting will be held at the Martin Wilson School, New Park Road, Castlefields, at 7.30pm.
By Andrew Morris
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Good idea
BUT, given the fact that the new Shropshire Council cannot even manage a small scheme, like the Darwin fiasco, how much is this really going to cost?
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fantasitc news it will be excellent, im very excited about this and hope it will bring up the standard of ditherington area, the shops by tesco need doing next
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Well this should be interesting shouldn’t it?
Whats the point in putting homes there, no one will be able to afford them, and who would want to live in ditherington anyhow? the whole place needs knocking down and used as a consevation or green area not more shops and homes that no one will use.
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No the shops and houses near tescos need either bombing or knocking down then sanitizing and then properly designated clean area that is sfae for people to go to.
unlike now…..
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Now let me think? Which estimated total costs will I believe this time? Hmm I’m thinking how much will this resemble the Darwin quotation fiasco? Lot’s of question marks are there not?
It is my opinion, that only (concrete) estimates be accepted, (NO PUN TOWARDS THAT DARWIN THING INTENDED HERE!) and there is a very real need for penalty clauses for failure to complete THE CONTRACT to be included, and the successful company be fully aware, that
NO EXTRA CASH WILL BE FORTHCOMING FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL BID.
THE DAYS OF UNDERCUTTING THE COMPETITION QUOTATIONS TO GAIN SUCCESS, ONLY TO SEE THIS ESCALATE AT A LATER STAGE MUST NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!!!
Come on Council Officers, lets see if you have gained any experience from your last efforts!
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This is brilliant news – especially as it includes the restoration of the canal. This, despite what others have said here, will be the centrepiece of a complete regeneration of the whole of north Shrewsbury. Just look at what has been achieved in Ellesmere and how the canal has been the catalyst for this. Bring it on!
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fanstastic news
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halelujah about time too!
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this expansive plan has £100 million written all over it and if restoration of the shrewsbury to newport is a thin green line through the building, then i despair. also a landlocked marina will really set the scene. it is an abject waste of money which would be better spent on the complete restoration of the canal twixt shrewsbury and newport.
i am not against sympathetic restoration of the old flaxmill and assume various grants are available to lessen the costs falling on salopians
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Thirty million its a disgrace. You could get 60 quantum leaps for that.
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fab
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Great news for the area and what arrogant comments regarding Ditherington. I agree with Mike that a contracted quote should be the final amount as otherwise whats the point in having a tender system in the first place. It does sound like a very interesting project and fantastic that such an old building with all its history and character should be saved in this way. Lets gets started!
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the picture looks really nice but architects designs always do, what will the real thing look like>?? i hope nice, but the people round there will wreck it and you can plough money into the area but until you fix the families there it will never really improve as a place
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