'Exciting and innovative' - Here's how 27 new apartments and coffee shop planned for Oswestry could look
Plans to build futuristic apartments and a coffee shop on a historic Shropshire town centre site have been lodged with Shropshire Council.
Developer William Evans has submitted proposals to build 27 new residential flats on Willow Street in Oswestry, with plans to demolish an existing off-street workshop building to make way for a new apartment block.
The 25,000 square foot scheme would see three buildings converted into residential accommodation, with a coffee shop planned for a ground-floor shop which faces Willow Street.
A second floor would be added to the existing Willow Gallery building at 56 Willow Street, which the developer says would "complete the frontage" at the southern end of the street, located within the town's conservation area.
Original proposals for the site were brought forward in 2022 and again in 2023, with developers seeking pre-application advice from Shropshire Council on the scheme. Amendments to the plans resulted in improved proposals being submitted this week.
"It is the aspiration of the scheme to provide a high-quality, sustainable environment that responds to the existing character of the area," said supporting documentation submitted with the plans.
"As the site would re-use brownfield land within the development boundary of Oswestry it would be considered a highly sustainable form of development.
"Additional housing in this location would serve to enhance the vitality and viability of the adjacent town centre and the proposal therefore conforms to all relevant existing and emerging local policies with regards to town centre development."
The developer has also applied for consent for alterations to three listed buildings in the scheme, which include the late 16th century former inn at 56 Willow Street, now a shop unit currently occupied by Willow Gallery.
The Grade II listed townhouses at numbers 58 and 60, also included, date back to the late 19th century.
Willow Street sits within Oswestry's conservation area, officially considered part of the town's 'Medieval Commercial Core' character area, with the Grade II listed Butchers Arms pub next door also believed to date back to the late 1500s.
A heritage statement submitted in support of the proposals by the developer said the benefits of the scheme would outweigh a "less than substantial" possibility of harm to the listed buildings included in the scheme, some of which it described as being in poor condition.
"58 Willow Street is vacant and appears to have been vacant for some time. Its condition is poor externally and its internal condition is likely to be considered poor," said consultant Highlight Heritage in its report.
"The condition of the timber framed building [Number 56] has not been formally assessed, but is considered to be in poor to fair condition. Only part of the building is in use due to the deteriorated condition of the building at the rear, most likely due to lack of use.
"The proposed scheme represents an opportunity to bring the existing buildings into a good state of repair, with a sustainable new use that provides the best chance of ongoing maintenance and preservation.
"The addition of two floors at 56 Willow Street to complete the frontage at the southern end and the vast improvements to the appearances of the facades on Willow Street, also represent enhancements to the listed buildings and conservation area that outweigh this harm."
Shropshire Council will decide on the scheme in due course.
The full proposals can be viewed online at the council's planning portal under reference 25/01861/FUL.
