Shrewsbury is only Midlands town among Britain's top 10 healthiest high streets

Shrewsbury town centre has a lot going for it – and it can now lay claim to being one of Britain's healthiest high streets.

It was one of 70 major towns and cities in the UK ranked in a new league table by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) on the impact of their high streets on the public’s health and well-being.

Shrewsbury came fourth in the national list – the only town or city in the Midlands to make the top 10 – while Walsall, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton all ranked among the 10 unhealthiest.

Things like tanning shops, bookmakers and boarded up premises were penalised, with judges instead awarding points for businesses which contribute towards a healthy lifestyle.

“To see Shrewsbury ranking so highly in the UK’s 10 healthiest High Streets is fantastic news and an endorsement that affirms the town as a go-to destination and a great place to live," said Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury Business Improvement District.

"In the last few weeks, we’ve welcomed a number of both independent businesses and national brands, boosting our full Christmas offering and keeping our high street ‘healthy’ in every sense of the word.”

The RSPH looked favourably on pubs and bars for encouraging people to socialise, as well as the more obvious dentists, opticians and pharmacies, and favoured healthy eateries over burger chains.

Kate Gittins, manager of Shrewsbury Market Hall, said: "We won Britain’s Favourite Market this year and this was in large part to the exceptional quality of our food offering.

"The market is just full of wonderful local produce and the most amazing cafes, serving fresh, healthy, home-cooked food which our customers love. Nothing is mass produced. It’s all very real.

"More people locally are looking to eat healthily so we have a strong vegan and vegetarian offering to meet growing demand."

Gwen Burgess from town centre cafe Darwin's agrees.

She said: "Shrewsbury has got a really good variety of cafes and food shops catering for all tastes and diets – and we have lost McDonald's.

"We have a range of vegan options and we are trying to develop more sugar free cakes. We also do a low-calorie breakfast. If we didn't have these ranges we would suffer, people are becoming more health conscious.

"Interestingly we get a lot of people from Walsall and Wolverhampton who come to Shrewsbury for the day, who say they don't have these options where they are."

Libraries, leisure centres, museums and galleries also scored points.

Adrian Perks, visitor facilities manager at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, said: "We moved here in 2014 and part of the aim of that was to open up the collection to the public. We are now right in the heart of the town and we like to feel that we are very much part of the town offer as a whole.

"We are all part of a growing network and we would like to continue to offer more to both local people and visitors.

"Obviously one of the good things Shrewsbury has to offer is the number of independent traders and cafes, including the one in our museum and gallery. The food is made fresh on-site using local produce, which is better than it being brought in from outside."

The league table features in the new RSPH report, Health on the High Street: Running on empty, which follows on from the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of a package of measures designed to reinvigorate the nation’s high streets.

This is a follow up report to the original RSPH Health on the High Street published in 2015, with updated methodology to reflect the changing face of the British high street.

Off-licences and empty shops have been added to the negative influences on health, and cafes and vape shops to the positive influences.

Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for adult services, health and social housing, said: “This is great news and something that we should be really proud of, particularly at a time when we’re trying to help people to stay fit and healthy.”

Nic Laurens, cabinet member for economic growth, added: “Shrewsbury has a lot to offer and is a place which visitors flock to, to experience its individuality and history, as well as its excellent shops and eateries. So, it’s no great surprise that it’s home to one of the healthiest high streets in the country.

“It further confirms that Shrewsbury’s economy is doing well, despite the national trend, and we’re looking forward to building on this with our exciting plans for the future.”