Flats approved for former Shrewsbury hospital site
A refectory at a former Shrewsbury hospital will be converted into apartments after planners approved the proposal.
Shropshire Homes has been given permission to convert the former Shelton Hospital's refectory into 12 apartments.
The developer has been in the process of building 159 houses and apartments on the hospital site, although no use had been confirmed for the refectory building.
It had initially been considered as a potential leisure facility or for use as offices.
However no buyer could be found, leading to the proposal for apartments.
A Shropshire Council report granting planning permission, states: "The refectory has previously been placed on the open market in order to allow any other interested parties the opportunity to put forward viable schemes which would preserve the structure as an integral whole, whilst preserving its character. A marketing report has been provided with the application. Options have included using the refectory as a gym, library or theatre, though Shropshire Homes has put forward an argument that the resulting noise from the gym would be unacceptable to neighbouring occupiers. Even altering the approved plans to remove the apartments immediately below the refectory has been explored but discounted on the grounds of viability."
The refectory of the former Shelton Hospital is positioned at the centre of the Grade II listed building, attached to which are the symmetrical “wings” of the building which extend in total to some 230m along the front elevation.
The refectory is a single room which measures 21m by 14m and is nearly 10m high.
