Former maternity unit at Ludlow hospital will be turned into small businesses

The Shropshire Council planning department has used delegated power to allow Godrich & Bergius to create the new units for small businesses.

Opposition to the plan centred on the loss of some 18 parking spaces at the site off Gravel Hill. But the planning officials say this is an operational matter for the health trust which agreed to the plans and is therefore not in the remit of planners to decide.

In their report published on Friday, Shropshire Council's planning officers said: "Objections have been received on the basis that the loss of the parking spaces to the development and the impact that this will have on existing and future service provision from the site.

"No objections have been received on this basis by the health board who it is understood sold the building including the car parking spaces.

"Any future plans for the adjacent hospital site are also a matter for the health board. As such these are issues/arrangements are matters which go beyond the merits of the proposal subject to this planning application and they are thus matters which cannot be attributed much weight in the assessment."

The council's highways section was reported to be "content" with the planning application on highway and pedestrian safety grounds.

Planning officers say there are residential properties near the site and it is acknowledged that the existing use of as a maternity hospital would have impacted on the amenities of occupants of these dwellings.

But they say the activities have conditions to mitigate impacts on these residences with conditions restricting the outside storage of materials and the hours of operation.