Shrewsbury Riverside plans 'will starve rest of county of investment'
Plans for the major redevelopment of Shrewsbury have been criticised by a south Shropshire councillor.
Ludlow Shropshire Councillor Andy Boddington, expressed concern at the potential costs of proposals to redevelop Riverside in Shrewsbury, and said that it could leave other areas of the county without funding.
Councillor Boddington said: "The council, which is rapidly running out of money, will have to raise the £77 million it needs for this scheme through loans.
"That could cost council tax payers more than £4 million in interest payments.
"And, it goes without saying the council’s limited funds are going into Shrewsbury yet again."
He added: "If this goes ahead, the rest of Shropshire will be starved of investment by the council for a generation."
Shropshire Council has said that the investment would lead to an economic boost which would be reflected across the county, along with increased tourist visits – with predictions of up to 750,000 extra people visiting a year.
Councillor Boddington has also asked for clarity over what will happen to the town's bus station.
The plans will see the current bus station demolished, with the council yet to publicly identify a location for a new one.
Councillor Boddington said: "Respondents to last year’s consultation were concerned that there no replacement for the bus station in the concept plans, concerns also raised by Bus Users Shropshire and Sustainable Transport Shropshire.
"The need for a bus station is mentioned in the council paperwork. It is absent from the public plans. Deputy council leader Ed Potter told BBC Radio Shropshire that the plans clearly show a new bus station in the last phase of the development, Phase Three.
"He failed to mention, or perhaps didn’t know, that the potential location of the bus station is only shown in a council document marked “official – sensitive”.
