Coffee shop chain plans new venue in Shropshire town centre

Coffee shop chain Caffè Nero is planning to open a new venue in a south Shropshire town.

The company has revealed plans to open a new café in 35 Bull Ring in Ludlow town centre. The historic unit was previously home to fashion chain Joules.

A planning application has been lodged with Shropshire Council requesting listed building consent to decorate and add a new sign to the frontage of the store and carry out a host of internal works.

These include creating a new service counter and customer dining areas on the ground and first floors but no external works are proposed to the wider building, roof, rear elevation or upper floors.

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UK firm Caffè Nero does not currently have a huge presence in Shropshire, operating just one venue in Shrewsbury town centre according to its website.

Rival chain Costa operated a Ludlow café in nearby King Street for many years but that closed down in 2023 and the unit remains empty to this day, prompting calls for action by local people due to its dilapidated state.

The building at 35 Bull Ring has been grade II listed since 1974 and mainly dates back to the late 18th century but has a surviving 17th-century timber-frame to the rear.

A design statement submitted in support of the application said: “The proposed works are considered to represent a high-quality, sympathetic and reversible scheme of alteration that will secure the continued active commercial use of the listed building which is itself recognised as one of the most effective means of securing the long-term conservation of historic buildings in town centre locations.

“The proposals will secure the continued active commercial use of a prominent unit within the historic core of Ludlow.”