Care village plans set for approval

Planning documents show how the development would meet Ellesmere Road in Shrewsbury

Detailed proposals for a care community on the outskirts of Shrewsbury are being recommended for approval by councillors on Tuesday.

The development would be built on land at the Hencote vineyard, to the north of town, by a company formed by the estate's owners.

Senesecura said the site would be a "modern social care facility" bringing £75m of inward investment to the area and providing accommodation for more than 200 people.

The initial plans were rejected by Shropshire Council before being allowed on appeal, prompting threats of legal action by Shrewsbury Town Council which were eventually dropped.

Senesecura proposes 164 units of extra and close care accommodation in the form of lodges and apartments, along with a 75-bed nursing home and dementia unit.

An amenities building providing supporting care facilities, treatment or therapy rooms, fitness pool, restaurant, small shop and site management facilities is also planned.

The units would be spread along the current access lane from Ellesmere Road to the vineyard and restaurant.

The owner of the firm, Andy Stevens, said the scheme would free up housing from those moving to the site, and eventually provide 155 full-time equivalent jobs.

However, Shropshire Council has received objections from 19 households, who are concerned about the environment and loss of biodiversity, the visual impact and design of the scheme, access issues, public services and community impact.

Shrewsbury Civic Society and Shrewsbury Town Council are also against the scheme.

Tuesday's meeting will examine detailed design proposals for the development

Tuesday's meeting is to decide on the appearance, layout, scale and landscaping of the development. It was approved in principle when attempts to block it came to nothing in 2023.

A report to Shropshire Council's Northern Planning Committee said: "The detailed set of plans that have been submitted demonstrate that the development has been carefully designed to align with the requirements of the outline planning permission and would provide a high-quality environment to residents and visitors."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.