Former beauty salon in Wem set to be converted into flats and HMO as plans approved
A disused beauty salon in a north Shropshire town can be turned into four “low-cost” flats and one four-bed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), planners have decided.
The former salon building, originally a house in the 1800s, is one of about 90 Grade II-listed buildings in Wem but has seen better days and has no allocated parking.
Applicant Shuker Build & Development Ltd has been granted listed building consent for the move for the property at 64 High Street.
One opponent wrote of a lack of nearby parking and fears that new residents and visitors “will worsen congestion and displace existing parking”.
“Concerns include increased illegal parking, blocked roads, difficulties for emergency vehicles, and more delivery traffic,” planners wrote.
“The objector feels the area cannot accommodate more vehicles and suggests finding an alternative site.”
Shropshire Council highways experts “noted that there is no parking provided to serve the residential accommodation”.
But they said it is in the town centre and with access to buses and trains.
They compared it to it being used as a salon when it would have a “degree of traffic generation”.
They concluded: “On balance therefore it is considered that the highway authority does not consider that a highway objection to the development would be sustainable on the grounds of lack of parking in respect of this application given its location, context and scale.”
Shropshire Council says the “harm” of the plan in a conservation area is outweighed by the public interest in repairing the building and bringing it back to life.
Shrewsbury-based planning agent David Humphreys Limited told planners that declining footfall had rendered a commercial use “economically unviable”.
It had been closed for “several years” before being sold by auction, planners were told.
The agents added: “Wem still retains much of its historic charm while embracing modern life.
“It remains a vibrant market town with a strong sense of community and a deep connection to its eventful history.”
They added that the plan “provides a thoughtful and policy-responsive solution that acknowledges changing economic conditions while supporting urban renewal in a sensitive, heritage-conscious manner”.
The ground floor of the property is to be split into two ground-floor apartments, with separate access to the existing staircase. The first floor is to be an additional two apartments while the second and third floors are to be converted into a four-bedroom HMO.
Wem Town Council is recorded as supporting the application as it will bring an empty building into residential use.
Shropshire planners agreed that it would “provide a sensitive new use for the building, offering long-term security for its future while respecting its special architectural and historic interest”.
“The harm identified is less than substantial and is outweighed by the public benefits of the proposal.”
Planners imposed a lifetime condition on the property that it shall not be occupied by more than a total of eight people at any one time.
