8 new photos show first unit of Shrewsbury shopping centre torn down

Last week the old Riverside Medical Practice on the corner of Smithfield Road and Roushill was turned into a pile of rubble, with Shropshire Council describing the start of demolition work as a "significant moment".

Now workers have turned their attention to the shopping centre itself, bringing down one of the units on the right hand side of the stairs as you enter from Frankwell bridge.

It is expected that the demolition of the whole centre, including the old Liquid/Diva nightclub, Somerfield, Wilko's and Greggs, will take around three months.

It is all part of the Smithfield Riverside regeneration scheme, an ambitious plan to 'revitalise' the area between the River Severn, The Darwin Centre, Roushill and Raven Meadows.

The project has been granted £19 million from the UK Government.

A new riverside "destination" park will be part of the plans, as well as hotels, offices and leisure facilities.

The next planning application for Smithfield Riverside will be submitted later this year, introducing ‘outline’ plans to develop three plots located between Smithfield Road, Raven Meadows and the new park.

Shropshire Council has asked Salopians to submit their photos of the old shopping centre for the Riverside Remembered project, a social history initiative which will see Shropshire Council and the Shropshire Archives work together to curate a collection of memories from the area between the years of 1974 and 2024.

You can submit pictures at smithfieldriverside.com for inclusion in the project.

For those with physical photographs, videotapes or even mementos, a drop-in event will be held at Shropshire Local in the Darwin Centre on September 5 from 9am – 3pm.

On October 1, an event will be held at Shropshire Archives on Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, which will include a display of images submitted, and screening of a film about the historical development of Raven Meadows.