Fresh plans for Shrewsbury's Stew submitted to council
Detailed plans to transform one of Shrewsbury’s most controversial buildings have been submitted to Shropshire Council.
Architects acting on behalf of Gareth Lees, owner of The Stew in Frankwell, are seeking permission to turn the derelict building in to offices, apartments, a cafe and spa. The building has been at the heart of a long-running planning wrangle.
Shrewsbury Civic Society are opposed plans to convert the building, which was once a warehouse, and which stands close to Theatre Severn.
A previous plan to demolish The Stew and replace it with a hotel was the subject of a protracted planning dispute, and considerable opposition from the Civic Society, which argued against the proposal on the grounds of the building’s historical importance to the town.
The plan was ultimately turned down at a planning inquiry in 2015.
A number of attempts to have the building listed have also been turned down., with Historic England rejecting the latest earlier this year.
Plans to convert the building date back to 2004 when the applicant applied to turn the building in to a hotel However, the new plans, which include an extension to the eastern facade and a futuristic roofline, are still a matter of concern for the civic society.
A design and access statement provided by Base Architects says: “The decision to fully reinstate and restore the remaining original building, rather than repair only, was taken in order that the original historical clarity is amplified. Later interventions have significantly altered the original form of the building leading to the detriment of the original building/facades.
"This breathes life back into the location, reducing the negative impact of a derelict vacant property in a key position within the town of Shrewsbury, provides residential property and places of employment and a solution to a long running process which has resulted in planning applications and appeals dating back years.”
Byron Grainger-Jones, chairman of the Civic Society said that the plans were ‘inappropriate’ for the area and thee scheme was not even ‘halfway decent’.
The plans will now be considered by the council in the new year.
