Our big vision of the future: Plans for Shrewsbury to go to public
Ambitious ideas for the future of Shrewsbury, including a riverside promenade, redeveloped shopping centres, and a West End 'creative hub', are to be put to the public.
The Big Town Plan, developed by Shrewsbury BID, Shropshire Council, and Shrewsbury Town Council, sets out a vision for the town and how it could look by 2036.
The final draft of the plan has now been released and the public will get to have their say on it in a consultation from August 1.
Some of the ideas mentioned include redirecting traffic from Smithfield Road through Raven Meadows, which would allow Smithfield to become "a pedestrian priority promenade".
The idea combines with suggestions for the future of the Riverside Centre, which was bought by Shropshire Council along with the Pride Hill and Darwin Centres earlier this year.
The suggestions are based around a knocking down the centre and nearby multi-storey car park, building houses, offices and restaurants, leading to a promenade "stepping down to the river".
The plan states: "The removal of the multi-storey car park and the Riverside shopping centre creates a great opportunity to create a mixed use riverside quarter.
"This would include higher density housing, new workspaces, new food and drink venues set around a new public promenade stepping down to the river.
"There is an opportunity to divert through traffic onto Raven Meadows thereby releasing Smithfield Road for the creation of a largely traffic-free promenade next to the river."
A clear plan
Alan Mosley, leader of Shrewsbury Town Council said: “We are delighted to present this collective vision for our town’s future. It presents a series of realistic, practical and sustainable aspirations; together with a clear plan of how we can get there.
"It is ambitious and bold in putting people at the heart of the town so it becomes an even better place to live, visit, work and invest.”
The draft plan carries four overarching aims – 'rethinking movement and place', 'supporting, creating and nurturing vitality, life and a mix of uses', 'creating a place for enterprise', and 'nurturing natural Shrewsbury'.
Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID said: "We have listened to what the public wants to see happen and taken soundings and insights from businesses and key stakeholders representing genuine partnership working.
"This final draft reshapes the physical public realm and matches it with an outstanding public experience, revolutionising movement around the town and attracting vital investment.”
Councillor Nic Laurens, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “The Shrewsbury Big Town Plan has been a true collaborative piece of work and its aim is to put people at the heart of the town.
"Throughout the process we’ve asked for people’s views, with over 5,000 people visiting the Big Town Plan shop in September last year to hear more about the work and input into the plan.
"We have taken these views and used them to create and shape what I feel is a really exciting plan for the future. We’d love to hear people's thoughts.”
