Delight as plans for eyesore building revealed

Residents in Shrewsbury and visitors to the town have welcomed the plans to upgrade Princess House, which overlooks The Square and High Street.

Members of Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents' Association have also given the scheme a cautious welcome, saying they would support a project which would attract people to Shrewsbury.

The plans, put forward by Retail Plus Property Partnership, include apartments above the ground floor shops with 12 penthouse flats and photovoltaic panels on the side of the building facing The Square.

The living rooms would overlook the historic square, and developers say it would make a "positive asset" to the town.

"It is terrible as it is," said Lynne Bradley, 68, who lives on Roman Road. "It is an absolute 1960s style monstrosity and it needs revamping.

"Flats are flats, and they should be good as long as they keep the building tidy and clean. But the revamp would be fantastic – it needs upgrading.

"This is a beautiful town, but there is this sort of stuff going on up and down the county.

"We couldn't do anything about it the 1960s, but we can now."

Judith Everard, 51 who lives near Welshpool and visits the town every day, thinks the plans would be a huge improvement to the town.

She said: "It is an unfortunate building really – anything they could do for it would be great.

"I think flats are a really good idea in the town centre, having them right in the centre would be good.

"And it is always good to have more people living in the town.

"It is dated looking, if we could make it fit with the town that would be good."

Mike Evans, secretary of Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents' Association, said: "The town centre residents' association is broadly in favour of any developments which bring new residents, visitors or businesses into Shrewsbury.

"If the application is for the conversion of Princess House, then it will be a good alternative use of the presumably empty office space in the building.

"We would expect any alterations to be formally approved, and in keeping or an improvement to with what is there at present, and that matters such as car parking and good-neighbourliness have been properly considered."

Offices currently based on above the ground floor include services run by the NHS Community Trust, the Armed Forces careers office and the Job Centre.

But planners have said none of these businesses wish to extend their leases past the two to three years that are currently left.

And while most people are in favour of the plans, 20-year-old tennis coach Harrison Gwilt, from Baschurch said he isn't yet convinced.

"I'm not sure," he said. "It seems like the wrong place to put flats right in the centre of town."

The plans can be viewed on Shropshire Council's website and will be discussed by the central planning committee at a future date.