Historic England welcomes 'vision' for redevelopment of Shrewsbury's Riverside
Heritage guardians Historic England have signalled their backing for a major Shrewsbury town centre redevelopment plan.
The organisation has been consulted as part of the first phase of Shropshire Council's plans to redevelop the Riverside area of Shrewsbury.
An application for the first phase proposes the demolition of the Riverside Shopping Centre and former Riverside Medical Practice and the creation of a new 'Roushill Park'.
It is intended to be the first of four planning applications over the coming year, which would focus on the regeneration of the first zone of the project – featuring offices and homes, as well as a new leisure site featuring restaurants and a cinema.
Historic England has been asked for its position on the application and in a response Harriet Halliday, the assistant inspector of Ancient Monuments, said the organisation welcomed the vision "for the redevelopment of this underused area of Shrewsbury".
It has also suggested that the plans may provide the opportunity to reveal historic elements of the area.
Signing off the letter Ms Halliday says the organisation has "no objection to the application on heritage grounds".
But the letter does outline the importance of quality materials in construction and 'attention to detail' to make sure the scheme is a success.
It states: "We welcome the project team’s vision for the redevelopment of this underused area of Shrewsbury, and the opportunities to enhance and better reveal the historic environment.
"The inclusion of geodiversity references would help retain the character of the Conservation Area and help create a more cohesive link between the town’s riverside area and historic centre.
"The success of this part of the wider scheme, and its ultimate contribution to the place-making and the Conservation Area, would depend greatly upon the use of high quality materials, finishes and close attention to design detail.
"Should the council consider that public benefits of the proposal outweigh the harm to the heritage assets, we would refer you to your own expert landscape and heritage advisors to consider matters of detail to ensure the detail, quality and execution of the intended approach is achieved."
A decision on the application will be taken at a later date.
