Plan to make Bridgnorth open air market a permanent feature

A open air market could operate on a Bridgnorth car park permanently at weekends if planners back the proposals.

Alan Willder Markets wants planning permission to use the parking area at Meredith's Yard on Old Smithfield Road for the market.

The firm had been seeking permission to use the site seven days a week. But it now only wants to hold the market on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays and has reduced the area it would cover.

Currently there is a market on Saturdays and a car boot sale on Sundays.

The company also wants temporary planning permission to use two areas to the southern corner of the main market area so their use can be reviewed.

The proposed hours for the market are 7am to 7pm.

Bridgnorth Town Council has supported having a permanent weekend market in the northern portion of the car park but has concerns about the extent of the area proposed and the implications for town centre parking provision at weekends.

The authority recognised that the loss of some 50 car park spaces had been partly compensated for by the provision of some 22 spaces in other locations.

Members of Shropshire Council's south planning committee (Bridgnorth) are being recommended to approve the application at a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, November 9).

A report to the meeting says: "There is no in principle planning policy objection to the continuation of a market use on this land.

"The revised market area would retain a sufficient number of useable car parking spaces on the privately owned car park on the days that the market would be in operation.

"Subject to the attachment of the recommended conditions to any approval issued it is considered that the proposal would not unduly harm the residential amenities of the area and would not detract from the visual amenities of the area."

The use of the land for a weekly market dates back to 1992 and there have been a number of temporary permissions granted.

By Lisa Rowley