Major planning application submitted for Shrewsbury regeneration

A series of planning applications for the Smithfield Riverside regeneration scheme in Shrewsbury have been submitted, following 15,000 people engaging in a public consultation.

Led by Shropshire Council and its development manager, RivingtonHark, Smithfield Riverside is the regeneration project set to transform the area between the River Severn, Darwin Centre, Roushill and Raven Meadows in Shrewsbury town centre.

The first of four ‘phase one’ planning applications has now been submitted. Funded by almost £19m of Levelling Up money from UK Government, the plans, if approved, would see the demolition of the Riverside shopping centre and former Riverside medical practice.

This would pave the way for key enabling works, clearing the site and creating a public park adjacent to Roushill. The park will feature play equipment for visitors of different ages, as well as a dedicated events and performance area.  

Future ‘phase one’ public consultations and subsequent planning applications are already being developed for the wider Smithfield Riverside masterplan, which has been designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects. These evolving proposals include modern offices, new homes and an exciting new leisure offer with restaurants and a cinema.

Ian Nellins, deputy leader of Shropshire Council, said: “This is an important milestone for the future of Shrewsbury and of Shropshire. A great deal of work has taken place to get us to this stage and we are excited to submit our first of several planning applications, as we look to begin the transformation of this key area in our town centre and after many years and much talk, this starts becoming a reality.

“It’s been great to the see the plans receive such an overwhelmingly positive response. The project is the heartbeat of our plans to attract new visitors, residents, businesses and jobs into Shrewsbury, and growing the county’s economy”.

Tom Smith, director of Spacehub, added: “Since the public consultation, we have used the feedback to help fine tune our proposals for the park.

“In particular, the play elements in the park have been made far more robust and natural in appearance, making use of solid and sculptural play features rather than traditional children’s play equipment. This design ethos that ties back to the geology of Shropshire seems to align closer to what a lot of people desire from a town centre park in Shrewsbury. This also responds to requests to ensure that the play equipment is robust enough to deal with flooded and subsequent clean-up without being damaged.

“On the topic of flooding in the area, we have also introduced a greater level of rain garden attenuation area to ensure that the park can play a really meaningful role in the sustainable urban drainage and flood management strategy.”

Spencer Winter, Project Director at RivingtonHark, commented: “This planning submission is an important first step in making Smithfield Riverside a reality. The plans will truly unlock the development potential of this area of the town centre, as well as deliver a world class new public space.

“It’s been great to view the positive comments on the proposals and see that the majority of the public and regional stakeholders are aligned with our thinking, and we’re all pulling in the same direction. The comments and opinions we received have helped influence and shape today’s application.”