Shropshire Council and development manager RivingtonHark have begun a public consultation on plans to redevelop Shrewsbury town centre.
Designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, the plan will seek to transform the area between the River Severn, Darwin Centre, Roushill and Raven Meadows. It will be split into four zones, aiming to improve connectivity between the town centre and the northern section of the town’s river loop.
This first public consultation will focus on zone one, located to the west and north-west of the Darwin Centre. Delivered through four separate planning applications, proposals would see the demolition of the Riverside shopping centre and former Riverside medical practice to create space for modern offices and homes, as well as a new leisure offer including restaurants and a cinema.
Plans also include a new public park adjacent to Roushill, designed by landscape architect Spacehub.
Shropshire Council has secured £19m of levelling-up funding for the project.
Ian Nellins, deputy leader of Shropshire Council, said: “This project is the heartbeat of our plans to regenerate Shrewsbury into a modern and sustainable new destination – helping us attract new visitors, residents, businesses and jobs into Shrewsbury, and growing the county’s economy. Since purchasing the three shopping centres in 2018, we have invested in improvements to the Darwin Centre and moved over tenants from Riverside and Pride Hill. This has made the Darwin Centre the busy retail focal point in the town centre for years to come, supported by investment in its facilities.
“The rest of the site is now in our full control and we have an exciting opportunity to redefine the area, which includes the empty Riverside and Pride Hill centres into something far more modern and dynamic.”
Spencer Winter, projects director at RivingtonHark, added: “Since our appointment as development manager on Smithfield Riverside, we have been working hard with Shropshire Council and the design team to develop an ambitious but fully deliverable masterplan strategy for this area of the town centre. As part of this first public consultation process, we want to start the conversation with businesses and residents from across Shropshire about how we can make the most of this incredible opportunity to revitalise Shrewsbury.”
The first phase of public consultation runs until 15 November, with the first planning application due to be submitted before the end of the year.
To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews
