Unveiled: Latest plan 'will secure Shrewsbury's Stew for 100 years'

The former warehouse, which sits disused between Theatre Severn and Guildhall, the home of Shrewsbury’s university in Frankwell, is the centre of new proposals to bring the building into use.

The plans, submitted to Shropshire Council last month, suggest creating a spa, cafe, and flats in the building.

They retain 75 per cent of the original building, and include a new modern roof, designed by Base architects to “sweep” from the theatre to the Guildhall.

It is a wholesale departure from the original plan, which was rejected at a planning inquiry in 2015, to demolish the building and then build a new hotel.

Carl Huntley, the architect in charge of the new design, said the plans have been drawn up to address “historical concerns” but warned the future of the Stew will be bleak if the latest proposal is rejected.

Gareth Leese, 45, who owns the building with his wife Samantha, said he is pleased with the latest plans, which he says will ensure the building is fit for another 100 years.

He said: “We are happy with it. It achieves the end-goal concerning the viability and it’s something we want to push forward.

“This provides longevity and makes sure the building is good for another 100 years time.”

The latest design has gone through “eight or nine” revisions to get to its final stage, and Mr Leese, a civil engineer who works on the country’s railways, said the plans will make sure the building has a functional use.

Mr Huntley said: “The Stew and its surrounding area has been the victim of negative planning decisions over the recent years, which have not only affected the building itself, but have equally detracted from the conservation area, and done nothing for the local community.

“This is the first proposal to come forward which looks to address concerns that have been raised historically, however it is important to realise that the constraints met by this proposal i.e. retaining 75 per cent of the original fabric, puts pressure on the viability. If this proposal is unsuccessful in gaining a planning consent then the future of The Stew looks bleak.”

Mr Leese said that the new proposal “takes away the bad bits and renovates the parts that others perceive as the good bits” of the building.

He said: “If we walk past that in two years time and it looks like that Sam and I will consider it a job well done, we will be proud of it.”

Mr Huntley added: “The key view from across the river on to Smithfield Road clearly shows how the proposed roof sweeps from the theatre, which towers over The Stew to the Guildhall roof. The rest of the required new build forms an extension along the eastern flank of the building and is mainly shielded by the original building.

“It is time The Stew was brought back to life, so the area can be enhanced and a viable proposal delivered. We can’t afford to let negativity bring down yet another planning application that has, at its heart, positive intentions to revitalise the fabric of The Stew, while enhancing the building and delivering a bold and exciting intervention.”

Mr Leese admits frustration over the collapse of the initial plan but is philosophical about the protracted wrangles over the building’s future that have seen it take 11 years to get to this stage.

Initially it had been bought from Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council on the understanding that it would be demolished to make way for a new hotel.

However, Shrewsbury Civic Society and English Heritage opposition to the proposal led to the planning inquiry and ultimately the rejection of the original plans.

The opposition was based on the building’s link to Shrewsbury’s river trade, something which Mr Leese says was “Ill founded”, citing new evidence that dates the warehouse additions to around 1875, after the river trade era.

Mr Leese said: “In terms of the long term future, for Sam and I we would have preferred the old scheme because it was a business and we both think a 45 bedroom boutique hotel is something Shrewsbury misses.

“It was not so much the scheme it was what it provided, the long term business use. The frustration is that we set out to build a business in Shrewsbury that would employ 40 to 50 people, that would provide something for Shrewsbury for the next 100 years. That was something most people felt the town needed and we wanted to do as business operators.”