Shrewsbury Big Town Plan must not be ‘left on shelf’
A masterplan for the future of Shrewsbury must not be “left on the shelf”, a council officer has warned.
Claire Evans, investment and key account manager at Shropshire Council, also said it was important that the authority does not look at the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan as a “tick-box exercise”.
She stressed that the council must be proactive and use it to develop the town centre and in conjunction with other schemes.
Ms Evans told members of the council’s place overview committee: “It is important that this is not just a plan that is left on the shelf for years, but that this is a plan that is used to look at the next stages of development in Shrewsbury.”
The Big Town Plan was launched last year and has seen numerous public consultation events to gain ideas.
It involves the partnership of Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council and Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID) with a view to promoting economic growth.
Ms Evans said the next stages will see the draft plan brought before Shrewsbury BID on July 19.
It will then go before Shropshire Council’s cabinet on July 25 and Shrewsbury Town Council on July 30.
Members of the public will then have the chance to comment on the plan with feedback being used to review it later in the year.
The plan coincides with a series of economic growth strategies that are being developed for Ludlow, Market Drayton, Shifnal and Cosford, Oswestry, Bridgnorth and Whitchurch.
Councillor Gwilym Butler, chairman of the committee, said: “I am pleased to see other towns being brought in to make this countywide.”
Councillor William Parr added: “It would be nice for officers to spend as much time as possible with the market towns so they feel wanted.
"We need this economic growth and it helps with the development of town.”
By Emily Lloyd, local democracy reporter.
