Second entrance 'unviable’ for Shrewsbury's Meole Brace Retail Park
Building a second entrance at Shrewsbury's Meole Brace Retail Park has been rejected as "unfeasible and unviable" by consultants acting on behalf of its owners.
The comments come in a letter submitted by NJL Consulting in support of plans to build a new Sports Direct store on land at the retail park - a proposal which is recommended for approval at Shropshire Council's central planning committee on Thursday.
Critics of the plans have raised the prospect of increased traffic and congestion at the site.
Responding to queries over whether a new entrance could be created for the park off Oteley Road as part of the application, NJL Consulting said: "In the simplest of terms, our application has highways authority support and officers have concluded there would be no adverse effect on the highway.
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"Notwithstanding, the applicant is willing to undertake car park works (including the removal of speed humps and re-configured roundabout lines) which improve vehicle flow at the retail park.
"Setting aside the proposed development is entirely acceptable as submitted, an additional entrance form Oteley Road is both unfeasible and unviable.
"There is no deliverable route from Oteley Road given the land ownership, adjacent railway, existing Meole Brace Golf Course access loop road, levels changes, safety considerations for existing retail park customers and tenant servicing requirements.
"Additionally, and of note, the council's own development brief for for the adjacent Meole Brace pitch & putt site does not favour access from Oteley Road."
Earlier this year a Shropshire Council highways officer said that a second entrance for the park should be considered "in the longer term".
In the face of criticism over the traffic at the park the owners are proposing a number of changes which would go ahead if the Sports direct store is approved.
They include a plan to create a third exit lane on the Hereford Road Roundabout, the removal of a pedestrian crossing, two speed bumps, and making an exit-only roundabout access from Sainsbury’s, two-way.
