Shropshire Star

Planners reject town flats bid

A town centre studio will not be converted into flats and an office after councillors ruled the plans would represent an "over-development" of the area.

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Fears were also raised that creating pedestrian access from the Fox Studios site in Much Wenlock on to the busy and congested King Street would put people's safety at risk.

The plans, which had previously sparked 25 objections and a street protest which saw people waving placards and banners opposing the project, were rejected at a meeting of Shropshire Council's south planning committee.

Much Wenlock Town Council and the town's civic society had also objected to the plans.

The site itself lies next to where St John's Leper Hospital is thought to have been, so may have archaeological significance.

But applicants Lightsource Audio Visual claimed during the meeting the conversion would be an appropriate project for the site.

Residents living on King Street believe the area could not cope with the plans to convert the building into an office space and four one-bedroom properties.

Mary Hill, representing Much Wenlock Town Council, called the plans, which include extensions to either side of the building, "over-development of a small site".

"King Street is one of the most congested streets in Much Wenlock and there is no footpath," she said.

"If this development is allowed there will be inevitably more traffic movements every day."

She also said the applicants had shown "a lack of respect" to the heritage of the area by deciding they needed to demolish part of a traditional boundary wall.

But David Myers, managing director of Lightsource Audio Visual, said the conversion to four flats and an office would be a "more appropriate use" for the former offices and equipment store and would remove the need for vans to come and go at the site.

He said he was surprised at the response of Much Wenlock Town Council as the plans had satisfied the demands of conservation officers.

He said the proposal would provide economic homes and help meet the needs of the local population as outlined in the new Much Wenlock town plan.

Councillors, however, were concerned that the extensions would change the character of the building in a historical part of the town, and agreed there was too much packed into too small a space in the layout of the proposal.

They also agreed with concerns about the proposed access on to King Street.

Councillor Madge Shineton said: "The pedestrian gateway will go out on to a very, very congested road."

The committee voted to refuse the application on the grounds of poor design, over-development of the site in a heritage area and poor access.

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