Shrewsbury town centre plans are latest in long line of redevelopment ideas
Plans to redevelop Shrewsbury's shopping centres date back more than 10 years but in the space of a decade those ideas have changed significantly.
Shropshire Council has unveiled its vision for the Riverside area of the town, with plans for one of the most ambitious redevelopment projects the county has ever seen.
But it is not the first idea for the area, with plans for the creation of 'mega-mall' linking all three of the town's then shopping centres – Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside – being given planning permission back in 2012.
The firm behind the plans, UK CPT, even had Debenhams lined up as an anchor tenant for the 225,000 sq ft project.
The global financial crash forced a rethink, and with the plans lying dormant Shropshire Council took destiny into its own hands, buying the three shopping centres in £51 million deal in January 2018.
The purchase has been used as recurring stick to beat the council's administration with, as the centres' value plummeted to just over £12m last year.
In the midst of the Covid crisis the council faced further criticism after taking the decision to close the Pride Hill site and move all shops to the Darwin Centre.
Despite the criticism the council has been clear from the outset that the decision to purchase the sites meant it had control over a project that is key to investment in the town, and the county.
The belief is reflected in its proposals for the area.
The plans would be a seismic shift in the usage of that part of the town – although questions will remain, such as the impact of the plans on traffic using Smithfield Road, and the location and form of any replacement bus station.
The proposals would see the demolition of the Riverside Centre, as well as the nearby Raven Meadows multi-storey car park, bus station and Pride Hill Shopping Centre which closed last year.
In their place will be a new leisure site, with intentions for it to host a cinema, a new multi-agency base or 'Shirehall', a 'transport hub', up to two hotels, offices, and up to 270 homes.
Mark Barrow, Shropshire Council's executive director of place, said the ambitions would focus on cementing the town's place as a 'destination' location.
He said the proposals could bring in 750,000 extra people a year to the town.
He said: "What we are trying to do is change the destination from a retail-focused town-centre to a town-centre with a broad range of experiences for the family, stretching that visit across the day."
Mr Barrow said there had been interest from major international hotel firms in space to build hotels, as well as interest from firms wishing to set up the leisure site – potentially a cinema.
The council said that it hopes to begin demolition of the Riverside area in February next year, and finish by March 2024. It then will aim to build and occupy the multi-agency hub by March 2026.
Other stages – featuring housing, further office space, and hotels - would come after and would involve commercial partners.
