SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCIL
FULL COUNCIL
16 MARCH 2015
Responsible Officer: Helen Ball (Town Clerk)
Dana Footpath
Agenda No
13
INTRODUCTION
There has been a wish to develop a more user friendly footpath linking Howards Bank across the railway line, round the castle with Castle Gates. Currently pedestrians have to navigate a flight of 20 stone steps accessing Castle Street at the side of Castle Carpets. This obviously precludes its use by those with mobility problems, disabled people, people using child buggies, cycles, etc.
There are currently plans drawn up by Mouchel that would create a pathway at the head of the steps, cutting through the brick wall of the Castle and navigating around the edge of the gardens and out onto Castle Street using the entrance to the Castle. This however requires rights of access over land in the castle forecourt which is currently in the ownership of
Shropshire Horticultural Society.
The path and railings would be high standard with appropriate landscape works. Not only would this provide a virtually level route but it would offer better views of the Grade 1 listed library and grounds. It would also encourage more to be aware of and enjoy the castle forecourt itself.
Representations to the Horticultural Society have resulted in no positive progress being made.
Over the years there have been various meetings between elected members, officers from both councils, English Heritage and Shropshire Horticultural Society to look at solutions.
CURRENT SITUATION
The recent sale of the Dana Prison together with continued development at the Flaxmill are likely to see a great need for accessibility in this area. This route is used by residents of the town centre and also Castlefields, Ditherington and North Shrewsbury plus the Monkmoor and
Underdale areas. Council members from these and other Wards are keen that this is considered an important route in and out of the town and as such action is needed.
At the Recreation & Leisure Committee meeting of 5 December 2012 the Town Council passed the following resolution:
(i) That Shrewsbury Town Council supports the concept of developing a DDA compliant path between the Dana and Castle Gates;
(ii) That discussions take place involving representatives from Shropshire Council,
Shrewsbury Town Council, the Shropshire Horticultural Society and English
Heritage to determine common ground and a willingness to work collectively on the project;
(iii) That those three parties seek agreement on the design detail and constructions materials given the Castle’s prominence as a schedule ancient monument in the
Conservation Area;

Agenda No
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(iv) That those three parties be asked to consider any levels of contribution (be it financial, land/access rights etc) that could be pooled to realise a collective project.
Members are now asked to consider the following motion:
That this Council expresses great dismay at the continuing attitude of the Shropshire
Horticultural Society in preventing access through the forecourt gardens of Shrewsbury Castle to facilitate an improved accessible route from the Dana to Castle Gates.
It therefore calls upon the Shropshire Horticultural Society to respond to the significant demands from residents of Shrewsbury and asks Shropshire Council to do all in its power to ensure that the route is made available to the wider public as soon as possible.

Agenda No
13
DANA FOOTPATH
MEETING BETWEEN SHROPSHIRE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY,
CLIVE WRIGHT (SHROPSHIRE COUNCIL) & HELEN BALL (SHREWSBURY TOWN
COUNCIL)
THURSDAY 23 RD JANUARY 2014
PRESENT
Donna Hamar (Chairman), Ted Butcher (Chairman Land & Buildings Committee) &
Simon Badrock (General Manager); Clive Wright (Chief Executive – Shropshire
Council); Helen Ball (Town Clerk – Shrewsbury Town Council)
PURPOSE OF THE MEETING
To identify common ground with a view to progressing a disabled access route onto
Castle Street from the Dana Footpath via the Castle Grounds
Horticultural Society Position
The members of the General Committee of the Horticultural Society remained adamant that they did not wish to see a footpath that cuts through the Castle Grounds part of which is owned by the SHS and exits by the main entrance.
The Committee would wish to see any footpath accessible 24/7 and since the Dana path is open 24/7 any concept of closing the Castle grounds element could potentially mean that users might make an unnecessary journey if they can’t navigate the steps.
The only plan that the SHS will look at is the one that cuts through the wall.
It was reported that the SHS had met with John Yates from English Heritage in
December to ascertain which elements of the current Castle Wall were considered medieval; the SHS was of the view that no element of the wall which their proposal would breach could be constituted as medieval. CW & HB detailed some difficulties that both Councils had experienced in excavating old buildings in the Town Centre and the structural problems that had to be faced that only materialised when excavation work had commenced. It was therefore felt that it was more preferable to design and implement a scheme at current levels rather than excavate unnecessarily. Less ground disturbance usually meant less contingency.
Shropshire Council/Shrewsbury Town Council Position
SHS questioned whether the scheme promoted by Shropshire Council was being driven by money. Both CW & HB confirmed that the scheme is more driven by quality than cost but in the current economic climate capital sums were depleting and in reality if the scheme wasn’t delivered in 2014/15 financial year the likelihood of public sector funded implementation reduced.
SHS asked whether the appropriate level of funding was available. CW & HB confirmed that were the project to receive the go-ahead, the funds could be sourced between the two Councils. DH enquired if a mutually acceptable scheme were to be found which may cost more than the current budgeted proposal would Shropshire Council be mindful

Agenda No
13 to contribute and potentially the SHS make up the shortfall. CW advised that would only be on the basis it was acceptable and the necessary permissions could be sought.
CW enquired whether the SHS was aware of the cost of its preferred scheme; they reported they were not but would welcome any support in costing out such a scheme, particularly since some elements of both schemes were identical.
Path Ownership
SHS queried ownership and maintenance responsibilities of any new footpath. Whilst
SHS might get to a position of agreeing the use of land for a footpath, they were clear that maintenance would be vested with the local authority. They are not content with leases but would instead wish to look at potential land-swaps.
Actions to take away from the meeting
1. SHS to report the outcome of the meeting to Land & Buildings Committee on 3rd
February
2. SHS progress with preparing their plans to meet development control standard with a view to submitting an application (this apparently has been agreed by their
Land & Buildings Committee)
3. SHS to go back to SC with the plans so that help might be given in accurately costing out their scheme
4. SC to provide details of where they have got to with costings
5. SHS Chairman to take the matter of SHS contributing to the build cost to General
Committee in April
6. SHS to look at what they consider is an acceptable land-swap