Ellesmere revamp is scaled back

Plans to scale back the multi-million pound redevelopment of a Shropshire town centre in the wake of the recession have been approved.

The major revamp of Ellesmere Wharf, which includes 300 homes, a public square, car parking, a pub and restaurant, extended nature reserve and residential care home, can now be downsized.

It comes after developers applied to Shropshire Council to vary and remove some of the conditions which were set when outline planning permission was first secured from the old district council in 2006.

It means a planned creche has been shelved while a block of live/work units in Wharf Road will now be incorporated into a block of retirement apartments instead.

A sheltered housing block earmarked for the west of Birch Road has also become a victim of the recession and will be replaced with housing for the open market instead. Fifteen public parking spaces behind a canalside pub have also been axed as extra spaces were inc-luded when the Tesco supermarket car park was built.

A decision on downsizing the development was taken by planning officers using delegated powers last week.

It means Cheshire-based PB Developments, which is developing the 31-acre former Dairy Crest creamery site, can deliver the remainder of the project without sticking to a phased development plan agreed in 2006.