Major step forward for Ironwork Centre plans

A retrospective planning application for a tourist attraction has taken another major step forward after highways chiefs supported the bid.

The British Ironwork Centre, in Oswestry, is expecting Shropshire Council to decide on the application this spring.

But bosses today received a further boost after a report by the local highways authority confirmed it has no objections to the retrospective plans.

And Highways England also said that is supports the bid on the basis that certain moves are taken to manage major events.

The current application is for the extension and alterations to existing lawful buildings to include improvements to an existing access and change of use of land to formalise the sculpture park on part of the site.

A previous application, which included future aspirations for the site, off the A5, was withdrawn after two years of talks.

As part of the planning application, the centre has already outlined proposals to manage traffic on busy event days.

As part of that planning application the centre has put forward plans for changes to the access off the A5 trunk road, with the creation of a visibility splay.

Now a new report carried out by WSP UK, on behalf of Shropshire Council highways bosses, has confirmed it has no issue with the application.

The report says: “The development is served from the A5, the A5 is a trunk road and as such is the responsibility of Highways England.

“Highways England have assessed the A5 junction to the application site and have stated that the junction should be improved.

“Consequently, there is a proposal within this application to improve the A5 junction. This improvement is expected to be included in a planning condition that ensures the improvement happens within an agreed period of time.”

As part of its traffic management scheme for major events, the centre says it operates a one-way system for traffic and car parking on its land and has a designated traffic controller among its staff.

A report to Shropshire Council said the centre operates a ticket-based system for all events which have the potential to be well attended.

The report says the strategy ensures that visitors enter and leave the site by approved routes and in accordance with safe practices and also that there is enough parking available to all visitors.

The report points out that the major events such as a transport rally and charity run are not held at peak times and mostly at weekends.

This tallies with Highways England recommendations in a report it filed to the council this week.