Shrewsbury retirement apartments plan wins go-ahead
Affordable retirement apartments will be built in Shrewsbury after plans were given the green light.
Housing & Care 21 has been granted planning permission by Shropshire Council to build eight retirement apartments on land adjacent to Richard Onslow Court in Hearne Way.
The plans for the two-storey building are an amended version of the scheme due to the concerns about scale and massing.
The proposal is for affordable housing for people who are aged over 60 or retired due to infirmity, and not open market housing.
The site is a disused car park to the east of existing retirement apartments in Hearne Way that are owned by the applicant.
There will be four parking spaces for the eight apartments.
Shrewsbury Town Council raised no objections to the plans.
Shropshire Council planning officer Jane Raymond says in the report: "The applicant was asked if they could amend the scale and design so that the proposal might be seen as a continuation of the existing apartment buildings that form a two-storey terrace that face Hearne Way.
"However any further reduction in scale and design of the proposal would require the loss of two units which there is a high demand for.
"In addition it was agreed that it was perhaps not appropriate to copy the older and dated design of the existing development, and that it was preferable to provide a fresh more modern addition to the end of the row."
The report concludes: "The proposal is acceptable in principle providing much-needed affordable housing for an ageing population within the urban development boundary for Shrewsbury.
"The scale, design and appearance of the proposal are considered appropriate and acceptable given its context and would have no significant adverse impact on the character and appearance of the locality."
Housing & Care 21 is a national provider for retirement housing and care services for older people.
The affordable housing units will be advertised through Shropshire Choice Based Letting scheme, and allocated through the Shropshire Housing Allocation Policy and Scheme.
The plans were given full planning permission subject to conditions.
