Demolition work starts at former NHS site in Shrewsbury to make way for housing development
Demolition work is taking place on the site of what is set to become an £18.6m development of 68 apartments and eight bungalows for the over 55s.
The construction phase at the former William Farr House in Shrewsbury is set to begin later this year with completion by the Spring of 2026.
A community space is also planned at the vacant NHS site off Mytton Oak Road, near Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Jane Johnson, project manager at the Wrekin Housing Group said: “We are delighted to be working with Keon Homes on what is our third ShireLiving scheme in Shrewsbury.
"This is an exciting opportunity to support people to live independently, reduce social isolation, unite different sections of the community and create job opportunities.
“This is another great example of Wrekin working collaboratively with partners to provide affordable homes and specialist services to people in our community.
"We know that there is a growing demand for extra-care accommodation within the local area, and this will make an enormous difference to people’s health and wellbeing.”
The previous use of the site was associated with medical and health care and utilised as office space rather than patient/clinical services.
However, the single-storey buildings have been ‘declared surplus to existing requirements’ and placed on the public surplus land register.
Shrewsbury Town Council raised no objection to the plan but said that it ‘would be preferable’ for the main building to be two-storey rather than three-storey.
Seven letters of objection were received by the council with fears raised that the three-storey building would overlook houses on Crowmeole Lane and would result in an ‘overbearing form’.
There was also concerns about an increase in traffic and that the home would add to parking problems in the area.
When approving the application, the council’s planning officer said that the scale and design of the development ‘is appropriate’.
A council highways officer raised no objection subject to a condition requiring the submission of a car parking management plan.
“Due to the proximity of the hospital and demand for street parking, a parking restriction on the access road proposed for adoption will be secured,” added the planning officer.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.