Plans lodged to stabilise 'decaying' Rowley's House amid proposal to build 83-bed hotel next door

Rowley's House and Mansion in Barker Street, Shrewsbury, needs work doing to temporarily keep it stable before a permanent repair solution is developed.

It comes after plans were lodged to build an 83-bed Travelodge with three retail units on a car park next to the building - a proposal which has been met with more than 30 objections.

It is currently surrounded by scaffolding.

A design and access statement submitted by Shropshire Council said: "Rowley’s House and Mansion are a pair of interconnected houses constructed during the late 16th century and later works in 1618. A restoration of the buildings took place in 1932. They are Grade II-listed.

"The building is a combination of a timber framed range with a tiled roof and a masonry structure with a tiled roof.

"It is currently unoccupied following several years use as a museum. Some elements of the building fabric have suffered deterioration from historic water ingress and failure of the construction materials – these relate to the repairs carried out during the 1932 renovation. The timbers and infill panels within one section of the building are the areas of concern for the proposed works.

"The proposed works are the stabilization of the timber frame and loose infill panels to the second floor of the building. A new timber frame would be temporarily fixed over the existing to stabilize the area while a permanent repair solution is developed.

"The works are limited to the temporary stabilization of this section of the building.

"The existing infill panels are constructed of a brick core with a render finish to both faces sitting within the timber frame.

"The panels are loose and there is significant decay to the timber frame, a permanent repair will require the replacement of sections of timber and the replacement of the infill panels. The permanent repair will require significant further investigations and structural assessment and development a detailed programme of work and specification.

"The proposed temporary stabilization works will enable the development of the permanent repair and allow for the remove of the existing scaffold support which is retaining the structure but also increasing the extent of the damage to the building.

"The proposed temporary works will consist of vertical and horizontal oak timbers being fixed to the existing timber frame to restrain the infill panels, these will be stained to match the existing timber frame. A mesh netting will be fixed to the new timbers to prevent any render falling.

"The temporary works will only be in place for period of time it takes to develop and agree a permanent repair plan and for the works to be completed."

Built in the late 1500s by Roger Rowley, a successful wool merchant, the timber framed Rowley's House, and brick Mansion built by his son in 1618 are located within the core of the Shrewsbury Conservation Area. The mansion is also believed to be the earliest brick building in Shrewsbury.