Town council decision over care home conversion – and Premier Inn expansion

The scheme for the former Hartlands Rest Home on Salop Road would see eight one-bedroom apartments built in the now empty facility, which closed in late 2023 following a care quality inspection.

Applicant Mr J Bentley told a meeting of the town council’s planning committee that due to recent opening of nearby facilities, the town was already “well served” with care homes.

“The home shut in December of last year following an inadequate care quality commission report, and was subsequently sold. With Shropshire Council’s policy on prioritising in-home care, re-opening the Hartlands would not be economically viable,” he said.

“We considered keeping the building as a C2 (residential care planning use), providing care to a different eligible group such as young care leavers or substance abuse recovery users, and we’ve also looked at the building’s suitability as an HMO (Home of Multiple Occupation), however none of these options are felt to be acceptable given the residential location of the Hartlands, and we believe apartments to be the most appropriate use of the building.”

Mr Bentley added that the scheme would provide more off-road parking than the previous care home use, reducing the pressure for parking spaces on residential roads.

The town council resolved to offer no official comments on the application, but the scheme attractive positive comments from Councillors Duncan Kerr and Mark Jones.

“As the local councillor for the area I would be in favour of this,” said Councillor Kerr.

“It’s a suitable place for such a development and I’m very pleased it’s not going to be a house of multiple occupation, that has been very problematic in that area and we’re having concerns at the moment about that form of development.”

Meanwhile, an application to create additional hotel accommodation at the Premier Inn on Maes-y-clawdd also passed without comment from the town council.

The scheme would see extra hotel rooms created in the adjoining Oswald’s Cross pub building, which Premier Inn say is in response to a “considerable demand for additional budget hotel accommodation” in Oswestry.

A scheme proposed by Gilhams Deli to expand from their Church Street premises with a scheme of alterations to the former butchers premises next door passed with no objection, with comments from the town council asking to ensure that a historic feature on the front of the building was protected as part of the works.

All schemes will be decided by Shropshire Council in due course.