Shrewsbury Flax Mill: Fresh blow for redevelopment of historic site
Plans to transform Shrewsbury's historic Flax Mill should not be approved because they do not show that the roads and car parks will be able to cope with the extra demand, highway bosses have claimed.
Members of Mouchel Consulting, on behalf of Shropshire Council's highways team, said the application to redevelop the building in Ditherington should not be approved, as the plans still lack detail.
Mark Evans, an officer from Mouchel, said that the application details "fail to demonstrate" that turning the building, believed to be the world's first iron-framed building, into employment space and visitor centre would be accommodated by the roads and parking arrangements.
He said: "From a highways point of view there are two main issues to consider, the adequacy of the proposed on-site parking provision and the impact of the traffic generated by both the employment use and visitors to the historic building.
"It is however, considered that the information provided to date is insufficient to demonstrate the acceptability of the employment use, visitor numbers and on-site car parking provision."
The building would become become offices and public spaces, under the new proposals, as well as a visitor centre with car park. The 1797 mill is known as the world's first iron-framed building and has been surrounded by scaffolding for years.
Applicants Historic England have put in the latest plans, part of a four-stage scheme, with the final project not expected to be finished until 2021.
It has been met by some concern from nearby residents of Marshalls Court, who don't want to see a car park on a site known as "the old railway triangle".
Mr Evans said that the current details do not make any provision for future traffic growth, and a re-think of visitor numbers to the site may be needed.
Shrewsbury Town Council has agreed to back the application, as long as measures were introduced to limit the impact on nearby residents.
