£400k extension work to start at Shropshire park visitor centre

Shropshire Council says work on the Severn Valley Country Park facility will begin on February 6, but the centre itself will be closed to the public from February 2.

The park in Alveley near Bridgnorth will remain open to visitors while the extension work is being carried out by contractors Pave Aways. There will be temporary cafe facilities offering takeaway drinks and snacks.

The council said the temporary facilities will be open by February 16 at the latest. They will remain in place until the extension is completed and toilet facilities will be available at all times.

The new extension will feature a much larger interpretation space designed to tell visitors about the history and wildlife of Severn Valley Country Park.

The cafe will also be improved and will include a new ‘play zone’ for younger visitors and a snug area.

Under the current schedule the new facilities should be open by June 2019, and will create three full-time jobs, including a new catering manager.

Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: “Severn Valley Country Park is well-loved by locals and visitors alike. The team at Shropshire Council are working hard to bring the park into a cost-neutral position. The new visitor centre will enable the staff and volunteers to deliver more top quality public events and enhance the visitor experience to safeguard the future of this wonderful facility.”

Tina Woodward, Shropshire Councillor for Alveley and Claverley, said: “The visitor centre opened in 1992 following the closure of Alveley and Highley collieries. With the support of the rural development programme, this project will update the visitor welcome facilities and interpretation to reflect the parks position as a top-class tourist destination and Green Flag award-winning site.”

Dave Tremellen, Shropshire Councillor for Highley, said: “The natural and cultural heritage of Severn Valley Country Park is extremely rich. This is an amazing opportunity to upgrade the visitor centre and create an amazing space in which to share stories of local wildlife and history with visitors of all ages, schoolchildren and groups.”

Funding for the extension is the result of a grant from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) under the Marches LEP Tourism Infrastructure priority. The total cost of the project will be around £411,000, of which £295,839, will be grant-funded.

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Consultancy based at WWT Slimbridge have been appointed to design and build the new Visitor Centre.

The team has experience of designing visitor centres on country parks all around the world.