The Northern Planning Committee were scheduled to meet on 22 April 2025 to discuss planning applications for the Riverside Shopping Centre and the Raven Meadows Multi Storey Car Park. The committee were also scheduled to note recent appeal decisions.

Riverside Shopping Centre Redevelopment

The committee were scheduled to consider an outline planning application for the comprehensive mixed-use redevelopment of the Riverside Shopping Centre site on Pride Hill in Shrewsbury.

The application sought outline planning permission for:

• Construction of a podium with undercroft car and cycle parking and ancillary uses.
• Creation of three plots on top of the podium:
  • Plot 3: Office (Class E(g)(i)), hotel (Class C1) or residential (Class C3) and medical practice (Class E(e)) with associated ground (podium) level food and beverage retail (Class E(a)(b)(c)).¹
  • Plot 5: Office, hotel or residential with associated ground (podium) level food and beverage retail.
  • Plot 6: Residential.
• Construction of a new road between Smithfield Road and Raven Meadows ('the Avenue').
• Meanwhile uses.
• Creation of new public realm and landscaping at ground and podium level.
• Plant, servicing and other associated enabling and ancillary works.

The report pack noted that the application was an outline application with access matters to be considered concurrently, and all other matters (design, layout, scale and landscaping) reserved for later approval. The application sought to establish the parameters and design principles for subsequent detailed applications.

The proposed development sought a degree of flexibility in the end-use or quantum of development, but the permission would set a maximum quantum of development, achieved through parameter plans and limited to the following uses: offices, hotel, residential, medical practice, and food and beverage retail at ground level only.

The following table sets out the different use class scenarios being proposed for the development, according to the report pack:

The report pack stated that the future intention of the site had been well established as set out in adopted masterplan and framework documents (BigTown Plan and Smithfield Riverside Development Framework), all of which set out a vision for the Riverside area to become a mixed-use area that contributes towards the regeneration and growth of Shrewsbury town centre through providing a waterfront destination that delivers vibrant new living, leisure and work accommodation with enhanced public realm and pedestrian connectivity to the historic core of the town centre.

The areas under the podium would provide opportunity to accommodate undercroft car and cycle parking, and plant/servicing requirements for the buildings, accessible from Raven Meadows and the recently approved The Avenue. The undercroft areas of the podium would also assist in the management of flood water on site (flood storage), aligned to the overarching flood risk strategy.

The report pack noted that the proposed development was of a type and scale that required an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be undertaken, and that the application had been supported by an Environmental Statement (ES), which confirmed that overall, the development had limited adverse environmental impacts, and the majority of effects associated with the proposals were of a negligible or beneficial nature. Any significant adverse effect was limited to the construction phase or could be suitably mitigated through recommendations made within the ES and conditioned accordingly.

The report pack stated that funding for the project was achieved through the Government's Levelling Up Fund (LUF) and was subject to compliance with the completion of demolition and enabling works to be completed by March 2025, and that the subsequent construction phase had received funding through the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which was dependent on separate requirements. As a result of this, the Council had phased the submission of planning applications to ensure that milestones and deadlines were met and deliver a masterplan that was deliverable and viable.

The report pack also stated that as the development programme for the redevelopment was not confirmed (subject to third party delivery partners), there was a possibility that the site (or parts of it) might be dormant for an unknown period, and that in this event, meanwhile uses were being proposed that would help in activating the area and creating valuable temporary space for community projects and local business to trade.

Raven Meadows Multi Storey Car Park Fencing

The committee were scheduled to consider a full planning consent application for the installation of 2.434m high perimeter fencing at levels 8-13 inclusive to prevent danger to life and increase public safety at Raven Meadows Multi Storey Car Park.

The multi-storey car park is located in Shrewsbury Town centre and within the Shrewsbury Conservation Area.

Shrewsbury Town Council raised no objections to the application, but agreed with the Conservation Officer comments and agreed the applicant needed to consider the colour of the fencing to ensure it was as opaque on the skyline as possible.

Shrewsbury Civic Society stated that they understood and supported the need to introduce safety measures, but believed the proposed works would unnecessarily disfigure this admittedly modest modernist building, and that the cranked tops of the fencing made it prison-like. They suggested setting the fencing back from the edge of the parapet to mitigate this, and believed that a galvanised steel finish would be less glaring than the proposed green colour.

The report pack noted that there was an existing small section/area of green anti-climb fencing on the top decks and the green colour of the proposed fencing was aimed to blend into this and into the landscape views.

Appeals and Appeal Decisions

The committee were scheduled to note the appeals and appeal decisions for the northern area. These included:

• An appeal against a refusal of prior approval for the change of use from agricultural to form two residential units SE of Charity Farm in Burlton.
• An appeal against refusal for the siting of 2 fast EV chargers together with ancillary electrical equipment on Shaw Road in Shrewsbury.
• An appeal against refusal for the erection of 1 dwelling to the South Of Beehive Lane in Shrewsbury.
• An appeal against refusal for the erection of a terrace of 3 dwellings following demolition of existing buildings at the Site Of Stone Merchants, Salop Road in Oswestry.
• An appeal that was allowed for the erection of a two storey extension and single storey rear extension at Hillberry, Pant, Oswestry.
• An appeal that was dismissed for a garage conversion and extension to create annexe at 1 Laundry Cottages, Dudleston Heath, Ellesmere.
• An appeal that was dismissed for a garage extension and carport at 131 The Mount, Shrewsbury.
• An appeal that was dismissed against a condition relating to amplified live performances at River Thai Restaurant & Bar, Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury.

The Inspector for the River Thai Restaurant & Bar appeal stated that:

Based on the evidence before me it is not clear that allowing unrestricted events to take place on the outside area would not cause harm to nearby occupiers’ living conditions and the condition does still allow for some events to take place on the outside area as well as indoor events throughout the year. This would allow the venue to operate throughout the year and provide some outdoor events to support the ongoing operation of the business as a bar/venue. As such, the condition is reasonable in all other respects.