Homes plan for town clothes store

A 100-year-old clothes store in the heart of Shrewsbury is set to be turned back into homes after closing its doors earlier this year.

Bosses of McClures in High Street, Shrewsbury, decided to close the business after the deaths of Ken McClure, who had run the business for 60 years, and his son Tim, who was due to take over.

An application for the re-instatement of five residential units and alterations to the existing shop unit at 14-15 High Street has now been received by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.

Jonathan, Ken's other son, said the decision had been taken to close the business following the deaths as there was nobody able to keep it going.

The store, which sells ladies fashions, first opened in Wellington in 1908 with the Shrewsbury store opening some years after that.

The Wellington store closed about 25 years ago, while other branches in Market Drayton and Oswestry have also since shut.

The Shrewsbury shop remained, but when it closed on February 29 it brought to an end the proud century-long history of the business.

The firm was founded by Samuel McClure, Jonathan's great-grandfather, who came over from Northern Ireland.