Call to abandon redeveopment of Shrewsbury's Dana prison over 'parking problems'
A bid to redevelop Shrewsbury's Dana Prison should be rejected because of potential parking problems, a councillor has urged.
Alan Mosley, who represents the Castlefields and Ditherington ward in which the prison is based, has written to Shropshire Council planners calling for them to refuse the redevelopment plans.
He claims that the proposals do not address the potential increase in the number of cars visiting the site and needing space to park.
"The applicant clearly identifies that issues surrounding traffic and parking are enormously significant problems and great weaknesses in the application. The original proposals, made during public consultation, showed an upper floor to be built over the adjacent Network Rail land for use as parking. This has now been abandoned."
The scheme to convert the prison would see it transformed into a mixed-use site with student accommodation, flats, a gym, lecture halls and using its listed wall to create a walled garden.
A transport assessment said it was believed that when used as a prison, up to 130 people would have been visiting the site in a day and needing parking.
The IMA Transport Planning report concluded that the development would "have a lesser demand for on-street parking, than when the prison was fully operational on site."
It said: "Overall, the development will have minimal transport impact on the surrounding area as all the ramifications of the development have been carefully considered and the car parking managed to minimise the effect on local residents in the vicinity."
However, Councillor Mosley queried the figures and whether some of the plans for parking, or limiting car ownership by students living at the prison, will be effective.
"Significant weight is given to the availability of spaces on the Network Rail land car park. However, this is pay and display currently at £4.80 per day and all evidence is that users of the site will tour the streets to seek on-street parking in the residential areas rather than pay.
"Nearby residents report that there are occasions when that car park is full and the developer has no control over the car park, pricing policy or its long-term continuation in use as a car park.
"The plan identifies some 47 private residential apartments while giving details of only 25 designated parking spaces, surely this cannot be permitted?" said Councilor Mosley.
The plans are available to view on the Shropshire Council website.
