Joule’s Brewery has unveiled its plans to “transform” Market Drayton, with hopes for 11 new jobs, a new events space and the relocation of the town’s museum.
A large part of the plans include a proposal for a pub next to the brewery, The Stags Head, which the company bought last year.
As well as a complete refurbishment, which the brewers say will “provide a theatrical and deeply satisfying quintessential pub experience”, Joule’s hopes to extend the pub with a new building to cater for events.
The company hopes to use the new two-storey building, which will sit on one side of the brewery’s courtyard, for private bookings, live music, civic occasions and town events.
Joule’s also says it is working with the Drayton Civic Society to relocate its museum to the site.
The new building would offer over 200 square metres of exhibition space for the museum on the first floor, almost twice the space of the current facility on Shropshire Street.
A spokesperson for Joule’s said the redevelopment will provide a boost to the whole of Market Drayton, and directly provide the equivalent of 11 full-time jobs.
They said: “We believe that the investment will enhance the brewery’s standing in the town and increase the profile of the brewery.
“By having a unique and stylish special events venue then we hope to attract local company events to the town centre, we expect that around a third of those attending events will require accommodation at weekends, increasing visitor numbers to the town.
“The museum will draw and increase the dwell time from canal tourism. We will also enhance visitor numbers which we draw from all the Joule’s pub’s located across Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire all improving the profile of Market Drayton.”
Joule’s is proposing the new building will “seek to harmonise with the surrounding architectural heritage while embodying a contemporary interpretation of warehouse design”, using materials such as reclaimed 19th century red clay bricks and clay roof tiles.
A link structure, crafted from oak with a slate roof, would connect the new building to the late 19th century Stag’s Head, which Joule’s says will “ensure architectural cohesion within the brewery courtyard”.
If the application is successful, Joule’s says it hopes to begin work on the site this summer.
A spokesperson said: “Our goal is to wrap up construction and be more or less finished by early 2025. During the development period, the new Stag will take centre stage as our primary pub, allowing us to focus on renovating The Red Lion, furthermore, our other Market Drayton taphouse, the Sandbrook Vaults, is just a stone’s throw around the corner from the brewery!
“We want to make sure that people can still enjoy a pint of Joule’s during this transition period and if everything goes according to plan, we might just be putting the finishing touches on everything by the summer of 2025.”
The plans are available to view online on Shropshire Council’s planning portal using the reference number 24/01808/FUL.