Apartments plan for former Oswestry Courthouse

Oswestry Courthouse Ltd has put a planning application into Shropshire Council to convert the former court into 10 apartments.

The building is owned by Shropshire Council and the Ministry of Justice, and the application was submitted earlier this month.

The court sat for the final time back in 2011, but was closed as part of Government cuts that saw five criminal and civil courts across the county close.

The court building was originally a high school for boys, however it stopped being an educational establishment when a schools reorganisation was carried out in the town and Oswestry High Schools merged in 1979.

Now it is to be turned into residential apartments after lying vacant for seven years.

A design and access statement that has been submitted states that there will be no affect on surrounding properties, and that a large portion of the site will provide essential amenity spaces and gardens for the property.

The statement also says the building is still in good condition.

The statement says: "The external appearance of the original building is a key factor in its appreciation and significance both locally and within the wider community.

"While the building is in generally good condition some remedial works will inevitably be required, while other changes may be necessary in compliance with building regulations.

"The proposals seek to maintain the overall external appearance and retain as much of the original fabric as possible, including original windows (where building control allows) and rainwater goods."

Developers also say that the site is more than suitable for residential development.

The statement adds: "A detailed analysis of the character of the area has been undertaken by using the outlined topics specified in the ‘Design and Access’ statement document.

"This analysis shows that the site is more than suitable for the proposed development and accords with the outline planning permission granted."