'How can it be policed?' Shrewsbury residents fume at hearing for late bar and food business near landmark
Shropshire councillors are set to decide on a controversial application to turn a historic Shrewsbury building's courtyard into a cafe-bar business.
Applicant David Gregg, general manager at live music venue Albert's Shed in Shrewsbury, lodged the application with Shropshire Council's licensing team in June.
The business rented the courtyard of Rowley's House from owners Shropshire Council, which it said it intended to turn into a continental-style cafe-bar area for customers, with a "street food" offer during the later evenings.
But the application has received objections from Shrewsbury's Town Centre Residents Association(STCRA), who are worried about potential noise nuisance, as well as harbouring fears over anti-social behaviour and crime.
Rowley’s House on Barker Street is believed to be the earliest surviving brick-built building in Shrewsbury, but has been vacant since 2013.
The immediate future of the building's historic courtyard is now in the hands of Shropshire Council's licensing committee, after a heated meeting at Shrewsbury's Guildhall which saw representatives from STCRA put their concerns to the council and the applicant in no uncertain terms.
