Shropshire canalside plan for 59 flats and townhouses in Ellesmere as county marks Shropshire Day pilgrimage
A new retirement scheme has been submitted for land at Ellesmere Wharf as communities across shropshire prepare for a "modern day pilgrimage" to mark Shropshire Day. The planning application would redevelop a long‑underused canalside site and comes while a Church of England service will be held across a 2. 5‑mile walk linking Jackfield and Sutton Maddock.
59 apartments and eight townhouses proposed at Ellesmere Wharf
St Luke’s Dukinfield Ltd has submitted an application for a scheme south of New Wharf Road, near the Shropshire Union Canal, that would consist of 59 apartments — 45 one‑bed and 14 two‑bed — and eight three‑bed townhouses, with associated hard and soft landscaping and amenity spaces.
St Lukes Duckenfield and agents set out design and community aims
Development company St Lukes Duckenfield said in its design and access statement that the site occupies a level plot adjoining the Ellesmere Arm of the Llangollen Canal and includes the Grade Two Listed Canal Warehouse, a surviving element of the former industrial wharf. Stephen Ball of agents Paddock Johnson said: "[St Luke's Dukinfield] places significant emphasis on quality, ensuring projects are taken from concept through to delivery by experienced contractors and guided by a clear commitment to strong design, robust construction standards and positive community outcomes. " He added that the original application drew inspiration from the historic arrangement of warehouses, reinstating a strong built frontage to the canal and reinforcing the relationship with the listed warehouse, and that the landscape strategy echoes the soft and hard landscaping patterns historically associated with the wharf.
How the new scheme addresses parking, safety and past objections
The site is currently defined by vacant land, remnants of former industrial use and a retained Grade II‑listed canal warehouse. A previous planning application for the redevelopment of Ellesmere Wharf was rejected by Shropshire Council, with the primary concern relating to parking provision. The latest application says access would be from the existing private lane and provides 65 parking spaces; the revised scheme "retains the approved principles while addressing specific matters raised, particularly in relation to car parking, fire safety, and operational requirements, " Mr Ball said. He added the developer has worked closely with Shropshire Council throughout the design process to achieve what it describes as an appropriate and sensitive solution for the site.
Local setting: neighbours, retail park and nature reserve
The proposals sit on land at Ellesmere Wharf accessed from New Wharf Road on the western edge of Ellesmere and are within easy walking distance of Ellesmere town centre, local shops and public transport. The surrounding area is mixed in character: Jebb Court retirement apartments lie to the north, housing runs along Dairy Grove, Birch Road Pond Nature Reserve sits to the east, and across the canal are Ellesmere Wharf retail park and the Tesco Superstore. the redevelopment would remove opportunities for fly‑tipping and anti‑social behaviour and make positive use of a prominent canalside location.
Shropshire Day: a modern‑day pilgrimage between Jackfield and Sutton Maddock
A separate event to mark Shropshire Day will take the form of a Church of England service spread across two locations and both ends of a 2. 5‑mile (4km) walk on Sunday to mark the feast day of Saint Milburga, which traditionally falls on 23 February. Anna Turner, Lord‑Lieutenant of Shropshire, said the plan was for half the service to start at St Mary the Virgin Church in Jackfield and for worshippers to walk to Sutton Maddock for the concluding part; the afternoon service will start at 14: 00 GMT at St Mary the Virgin Church in Jackfield, near Telford, and the concluding part at Sutton Maddock is expected to begin at about 16: 00.
Who will lead and what to expect at the pilgrimage
The service will be jointly led by the Right Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield, and the Right Reverend Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford, and will be attended by Anna Turner. Organisers said the celebration brings together the Diocese of Lichfield, covering the northern part of the county including Shrewsbury, and the Diocese of Hereford, covering the south. A new prayer written by Reverend Prebendary Chris Thorpe of St Andrew's Church, Shifnal, will be introduced; organisers stressed everyone is welcome and dogs are welcome in both churches. Those wishing to take part only in the concluding part can join at Sutton Maddock at the expected 16: 00 start.
Comments on the Ellesmere Wharf planning application can be made Shropshire Council’s planning portal using reference 26/00585/FUL; the consultation period ends on March 13. Organisers of the pilgrimage also invited people to say which stories they would like covered in Shropshire.
