Nine apartments planned above shop in Shrewsbury town centre
A plan to convert space above a Shrewsbury town centre shop into nine separate apartments has been lodged with Shropshire Council.
The scheme for 33 Castle Street, would see six existing apartments reconfigured into nine units by Shrewsbury based developers Marshall & Marshall Limited.
The proposal would create six one-bedroom apartments and three two-bedroom apartments, which the developer says would lead to increased demand for open market rental units in the building, only one of which is currently occupied.
The upper floors of the property were converted from offices into six homes in 1997 by former tenant, Bromford Housing Association, before being purchased by the existing developer in 2021. Bromford’s long-term lease was surrendered last month.
The lower floor of the building is currently used by a retail furniture business, which would not be affected by the plans.
“The apartments have been vacated during the course of the last five years and have not been re-let. Only one of the six apartments is now occupied. This has resulted in a general decline in the standard of repair to the fabric of the building,” said Craig Henn, Property Director, Marshall & Marshall Limited.
“Good quality, sympathetically converted, town centre residential apartments are very much in demand and from our experience, the proposed additional apartments would be more or less in continued occupation and well maintained ensuring the long-term viability of the property.
“The proposal will bring the whole of the building back into beneficial use and will ensure that the fabric is fully repaired and maintained in the future; thus ensuring the preservation and enhancement of the building and special characteristics of the Town Centre Conservation Area.”
If approved, the plans would be the latest move in a gradual increase in rented living space in upper Castle Street. In 2020, the former solicitor’s offices at 28 Castle Street were converted into 16 rental units and last month plans were lodged to convert former office space above the building opposite, 11a Castle Street, into a 7 bedroom house of multiple occupation.
The plans will be decided by Shropshire Council planning officers in due course.
