Café and kitchen plan for fishery in the Severn Valley

Proposals have been submitted to Shropshire Council for the redundant ticket office building to be converted at Townsend Fishery in Alveley.

The café building would include a refurbished kitchen area, two toilets and a fish bait sales area. An existing first-floor loft area is proposed to provide staff and storage facilities.

The fishery was set up in 1992 and has six fishing ponds which can accommodate up to 50 anglers at one time.

A new paved terrace area to the front of the existing building would also be created on exiting grassland.

“The existing ticket office building had become redundant and was used as informal storage area,” said the applicant’s design and access statement.

“Works had commenced to create staff facilities within the existing loft space to form a first floor. The proposed application would seek to regularise the existing building (that has been competed for more than 10 years) and then utilise the as built layout to accommodate a designated kitchen and café area to serve anglers.

“It will re-organise dilapidated toilet provision to provide unisex toilets, create a secure storage area, a designated bait shop, and then from a separate access to the existing first floor.

“The loft space would be completed to provide a staff room/office, store and staff toilet provision with washing facilities.

“Within the application site itself the proposed terrace provides a new area for outdoor seating, enabling anglers to meet and socialize during their trips. The terrace leads to the main entrance.

“The café utilises the former meeting room and is served by the refurbished kitchen located to the rear of the building.”

Access into Townsend Fishery is from Dog Kennel Lane via a driveway that leads to a ‘large open area’ which can accommodate 16 cars.

The proposed café would include an existing log burner, a serving hatch and have room to seat 16 people.

Currently one member of staff is employed at the fishery and admin work is undertaken within a retained caravan on the site.

The applicant ‘envisages’ that if plans are approved they would create at least two more part-time roles.

“The staff facilities means that Townsend Fishery can employ more than one staff and provide sufficient facilities for their welfare, enabling the business to grow from the provision of a proper kitchen within the ground floor,” the design statement adds.

“The proposed ground floor layout provides essential facilities that any outdoor leisure venue should provide as minimum. The development would see the existing building re-used without any extensions to its existing fabric.”

Plans can be viewed on Shropshire Council’s planning portal on their website, application number 23/04795/FUL.

Comments should be made during the consultation period which ends on December 4.