Civic society objects to hotel plan for Shrewsbury bar and restaurant
Plans to convert a Shrewsbury bar and restaurant into a boutique hotel could affect other businesses, according to the town's civic society.
The group has objected to the proposal to transform Darwin's Kitchen in St Mary's Street into a six-bedroom hotel.
The conversion of the Grade II-listed 17th century building would see the dining room, bar and toilets on the ground floor turned into bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and and there would be two further bedrooms on the first floor.
However, in a letter to Shropshire Council's planning department, Mike Carter, chairman of Shrewsbury Civic Society's planning committee, said the group cannot support the application in its current form.
He said: "The civic society is very keen to support Shrewsbury's businesses and see them prosper but has concerns about one aspect of this change of use.
"The formation of two bedrooms on the ground floor behind the existing shop front will, in our view, not provide improvement or enhance the streetscape.
"St Mary's Street provides useful expansion to the main retail street. Closing one active frontage affects the other businesses which rely on footfall.
"We feel the proposals could be adjusted to convert the existing single storey conservatory into two bedrooms rather than the former bar area."
A decision is expected to be made by Shropshire Council later this month.
