Consultation begins for Shrewsbury town centre regeneration.

The Smithfield Riverside project is the next step in the regeneration of Shrewsbury town centre, led by Shropshire Council and development manager, RivingtonHark. 

This includes the area between The Darwin centre, Roushill and the River Severn in Shrewsbury town centre.

Shropshire Council have secured almost £19 million of Levelling Up Fund money from the Government.

This is in order to further support the regeneration of Shrewsbury town centre – kickstarting practical work on the Smithfield Riverside project.

Zones

Designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, the masterplan will be split into four key zones. These zones aim to improve connectivity between the town centre and the northern section of the town’s river loop.

The masterplan’s phased design will ensure key amenities like The Darwin centre and Premier Inn can trade as normal throughout future construction.

This first public consultation will last four weeks, and focus on zone one, located to the west and north west of The Darwin centre.

Ian Nellins, Deputy Leader of Shropshire Council, said:

“We’re excited to finally share the emerging Smithfield Riverside masterplan with the public. The project is the heartbeat of our plans to regenerate Shrewsbury into a modern and sustainable new destination – helping us attract new visitors, residents and 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.”

Proposals

Proposals would see the demolition of the Riverside shopping centre and former Riverside medical practice to create space for modern offices and homes. In addition, a new leisure offer including restaurants and a cinema will be delivered within the four separate planning applications.

These new developments would be interlinked by a series of accessible and vibrant new lanes and public spaces that help shape the area’s new identity.

In addition, plans include a landmark new public park adjacent to Roushill. This will breathe new life into the area while helping improve biodiversity in the town centre.

Heart of the town

Ben Sykes, Partner at FaulknerBrowns Architects, said:
“Our design proposals are all about connectivity, creating a green link from the heart of the town to the River Severn, with new homes, workspaces and public spaces stepping down to the riverside.

“A new park alongside this could include seating overlooking the Welsh Bridge, a children’s playground, open lawns and an events space for live music or film screenings – but as we develop the design, we want to hear feedback and ideas for the park from people in Shrewsbury.”

Following the completion of the public consultation, the first of four ‘zone one’ planning applications is due to be submitted before the end of the year. This application will be for demolition of the Riverside shopping centre and former Riverside medical practice. Ultimately, this will pave the way for key enabling works and the construction of the park on Roushill.

Ian Nellins, Deputy Leader of Shropshire Council, said:

“We’re excited to finally share the emerging Smithfield Riverside masterplan with the public. The project is the heartbeat of our plans to regenerate Shrewsbury into a modern and sustainable new destination – helping us attract new visitors, residents and 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.”