Education
Industrial (B2)
Leisure
Residential
Retail
Urban Regeneration
Benthall Grange Ironbridge
The former Ironbridge Power Station forms the largest single redevelopment site in Shropshire. Its 142-hectare site, located on the border of neighbouring Telford at the heart of Shropshire, is in a rural environment with good road and rail connectivity to the Black Country and the wider West Midlands region.
Harworth Group plc had full planning approval granted in September 2021 from both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin, subject to agreements. The Group also obtained planning consent in September 2022 to extract up to 1.9 million tonnes of sand and gravel to Shropshire Council.
The outline planning permission includes plans for 1,000 homes; a retirement village; a new local centre to contain a mix of leisure, commercial, retail and health uses; a primary school; nature corridors; public open space; and the re-use of the site’s pump house to support either retail, community or river-based uses.
This site’s planning permission includes c. 16,000m2 of commercial space alongside 2,200m² of retail provision.
The application is supported by a number of key documents which explain how the plan has been arrived at, including a detailed Design & Access Statement which is being incorporated into a sitewide Design Code; a full Transport Assessment; and a series of environmental plans including flood risk and ecological assessments.
The application follows 18 months of detailed consideration, including two public consultations held onsite in 2018 and 2019 which attracted nearly 1,000 people in total, establishing a detailed understanding of the site’s assets and constraints and considering the site’s role in supporting lronbridge’s leisure and tourism offer.
Key facts
- Located in the historic setting of Ironbridge, at the heart of the region’s industrial heritage
- A mixed-use site along the River Severn
- This site’s masterplan indicates a minimum of 16,000m2 of commercial space alongside 2,200² of retail provision
- Outline planning application for 1,000 homes and a retirement village
- The site benefits from nature corridors, public open space and re-use of the historic pump house
Opportunity location
Why invest in Shropshire?
Exciting investment opportunities exist in Shropshire, a well-positioned location right in the geographical centre of the UK, and within easy reach of the markets of the West Midlands, the North, Mid Wales and into Ireland.
The ability to tailor requirements to suit sector and business needs, both now and in the future, has created what can be best described as a mosaic approach to development. One size definitely does not fit all in Shropshire; it’s far too independent-thinking for that – this is the birthplace of Charles Darwin after all!
What works in the county town or one market town is not necessarily mimicked in the next, resulting in the key employment areas of Shrewsbury (the county town), Oswestry, Whitchurch, Market Drayton, Bridgnorth, Shifnal and Ludlow providing a truly interesting and varied place to live, work and invest. This approach is boosting an already-established high-quality independent retail, pub, restaurant and leisure offer that provides unique experiences often found in city-living locations.
An increase in the hospitality, tourism and leisure market, alongside growth in creative and knowledge sectors, is evidence of a growing number of business owners, creatives and entrepreneurs attracted to town and more rural living. Many no longer feel the need to be city-based, making our towns beacons for those wanting a high quality of life for them, their families and their businesses.
Insight for investors
- Type of investment sought: Future delivery and investment
- Value and cost info: £250m + GDV
- Site size: 142 hectares
- Jobs: 4,520 new jobs
- Timescale: 2022-2036
- Delivery timescale: 1-5 years
- Planning status: Full planning approval granted in September 2021