Shrewsbury student halls plan delayed over design concerns
New student university halls in Shrewsbury face a further delay after Shropshire Councillors called for a rethink on the design of the buildings.
Concerns had been raised over the appearance of the proposed buildings, on which preliminary works have started at the former site of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College at The Tannery on Barker Street.
Shrewsbury Civic Society had claimed the proposed buildings were out of character with the local area and failed to take into account the historic surroundings.
In a letter to the council prior to the meeting, the society's chairman Mike Carter said: "The design itself does not sufficiently address the great significance of this site - the entry to Shrewsbury centre - the position opposite the iconic Rowley's House - the nearby mix of modern and historic buildings. The front elevation is unlikely to be popular and may accrue local architects' derision, as did the last design. An independent design review is needed.
"We have discussed with officers our anxieties about the process by which the application was determined in 2015. There was very little time for proper consideration by anyone with concerns, there was an extremely short public consultation, the determination was not based on good design principles."
At a meeting of Shropshire Council's central planning committee last week, members agreed to defer granting permission for the partial discharge of the condition relating to the design, details, materials and fenestration of block C.
In giving their decision members said that the application was being deferred 'to allow the architect to address the design issues raised and for the committee to consider an application for the site as a whole'.
Demolition work at the site has already started with the former college being levelled and the ground prepared for works.
The plan for the site had originally been to build three blocks of accommodation for around 217 students. The proposal had included three main buildings, each with four floors, housing 73 students, and a postgraduate building.
The new plans for the Barker Street site will reduce the number of blocks for the development to two, with one containing retail units and office space.
Between the two blocks will be a two-storey in-fill. The accommodation is expected to be completed in time for students joining University Centre Shrewsbury by September 2018.
