'Magnet for vandals': Plan to build a dozen townhouses in grounds of 'run down' former training centre refused

The proposal also included plans to build 12 new townhouses in the grounds of the building, following the demolition of several demountable outbuildings.

For two decades the building had been home to Shropshire Council's county training team, until they relocated to Shirehall and The Gateway Education and Arts Centre in 2015. Shropshire Council put the property up for sale for £1 million later that year.

Since then, the applicants argue, parts of the building have entered a "poor state of repair".

The plans attracted a mixed response from neighbours, with some raising concerns over the scale of the development and, in particular, the risk that the townhouses could overlook nearby properties.

But some welcomed the development. One neighbour, who claimed to live opposite The Hollies, said the building was "run down" and a "magnet for vandals, drug dealers and general misbehaving".

The plans also received the backing of Shrewsbury Town Council, which said members were "pleased to see the site being used".

But the local planning authority has now refused the plans, determining that it would constitute "over-development" of the site and raising concerns over "inadequate sized rear gardens" of some of the properties.

It was also determined that a number of the homes would overlook several existing properties and result in a "loss of privacy for the occupiers".

The full application, and the council's decision, is available to view on Shropshire Council's planning portal using reference number 25/01113/FUL.