Initial plans for new hotel given go-ahead

A new hotel could be built in Shrewsbury after outline planning permission was granted to the Hilton group.

The 146-bed hotel is expected to be built on the outskirts of the town, next to the David Lloyd Club on Sundorne Road.

The land is currently being used as a car park and there are good transport connections via the A49.

The application was put forward by Dave Courteen, who previously ran The Shrewsbury Club at the same site. Despite some concerns over traffic and parking, the outline application was approved on Tuesday.

Ollie Thomas, principal planning officer at Shropshire Council, told members of the planning committee: "I don't think four storeys will be out of character when against the backdrop of The Shrewsbury Club [David Lloyd Club]."

Concerns about traffic were raised by councillor Rosemary Dartnall, who said the area was "prone to very bad traffic with a school just around the corner".

"I would have concerns about what this could add to that situation," she said.

Dartnall also said she worried about the impact on parking and public transport in the area and that the plans were proposing "a hotel in a place where one would not expect one to be in the way our transport is set up".

Thomas said both the Local Planning Authority and Highways Authority were satisified with the level of numbers.

The meeting also heard the applicant was willing to contribute £130,000 to help with the cost of traffic management.

Detailed plans will need to be submitted and approved before the project can go ahead.

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