Plans for an £8 million hotel in Shrewsbury’s town centre have been criticised by members of Cycle Shrewsbury and green campaigners who claim more needs to be done to accommodate cyclists’ needs.
Premier Inn has submitted fresh plans for a 136-bedroom hotel and restaurant in Smithfield Road – which forms part of the Connect2 walking and cycling project – creating more than 40 jobs.
Alison Kennedy, infrastructure manager at Cycle Shrewsbury – a Shropshire Council campaign to get more people cycling – has called for the existing footway along the frontage of the proposed hotel, which is used for pedestrians and cyclists, to be widened.
She also called for a financial contribution to be made to help fund toucan crossings planned at Raven Meadows/Smithfield Road and around the Chester Street gyratory.
“Better crossings would help customers and staff of the hotel/restaurant to connect safely with Coton Hill, Castlefields and long stay car parks on the edge of the town centre,” she said.
And Mark Wootton, principal officer in highways development control at Shropshire Council, raised concern that the proposals do not include any disabled access or drop-off and pick-up points on Smithfield Road.
Philip Pool, on behalf of Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth, said he could find no reference in the plans to cycling, nor any mention of Shrewsbury’s status as a Cycling Town.
He said: “This is an unfortunate omission as within the last few weeks a further section of the Connect2 project has been implemented immediately outside the Telephone House site. There appears to be no apparent facilities for hotel staff to park cycles.”
Planners are due to make a decision by the end of next month.
by Charlotte Hester