Plans for community hub and 50 homes at former Shropshire school set to go ahead

The redevelopment of the former Oaklands school site in Bayston Hill has been years in the making and is now set to go before Shropshire Council's central planning committee recommended for approval.

Four separate applications have been submitted relating to the site as well as the Mary Webb Library and youth club building, but are "reliant on each other for approval," according to the planning officer's reports.

The plans include the demolition of the library to make way for three houses, while up to 47 homes could be built on the school site.

Also on the school site will be a community hub, including a new public library, an office for Bayston Hill Parish Council, children’s play area and offices.

The youth club will be redeveloped to create a new Scout and Guide headquarters, and and a four-bedroom vicarage connected to Christ Church will also be built. There will be a 29-space car park between the church and the community hub.

The application proposes over 6,000 square metres of public open space, encompassing much of the existing Glebefield and portions of the land and playing fields associated with the former primary school.

The application relating to the Oaklands school site is a hybrid application, seeking full permission for the community hub and outline for the residential development.

There were 25 objections from neighbours regarding the redevelopment of the school site, three objections to the plans for the library site, and three objections to the proposed new vicarage. But there were four letters of support for the upgrading of the youth club, which was also supported by the parish council.

Planning officer Toby Cowell has recommended approval to all four applications, saying the proposals "would constitute a highly sustainable form of development and reuse of a partial brownfield site".

The applications will be decided by the planning committee at a meeting next Thursday.