Shrewsbury’s new public park to be named ‘Riverside Gardens’

Riverside Gardens: pictured from left to right is Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Deputy Leader, Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council’s Leader, Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID and Claire Evans, Shropshire Council’s senior programme officer.

Located along Roushill, Riverside Gardens will mark the first phase of Shropshire Council’s ambitious regeneration plans for the area between the River Severn, The Darwin Centre, Roushill and Raven Meadows.

The name was selected following an extensive public vote, with ‘Riverside’ receiving 45% of the votes for the first part of the name, and ‘Gardens’ being a clear preference over ‘Park’ with 74% of the votes.

As part of the Smithfield Riverside regeneration project, Shropshire Council gathered 541 name suggestions from the public late last year. A refined shortlist was then put to a vote in January this year (2025), with over 1,700 local people taking part.

Specialist demolition contractor Cawarden is now nearing completion of major demolition work on the former Riverside Shopping Centre and Medical Centre, clearing the way for the creation of this flagship public space in the heart of the town centre. This first phase of the project is funded by £19 million of Levelling Up money from UK Government.

In partnership with development manager RivingtonHark, the council is in the final stages of appointing a landscape contractor to create Riverside Gardens. Transition to the new contractor on site is expected to commence this summer, with completion of the park anticipated in 2026.

Riverside Gardens will transform the area, improving footfall, biodiversity and flood resilience, while creating a vibrant, welcoming space for the community. The park will feature attractive green landscaping, play equipment to attract more families, accessible facilities for visitors of all ages, and a dedicated events and performance area.

Ian Nellins, Deputy Leader of Shropshire Council, commented:

“The new name marks another exciting milestone in our regeneration journey and aligns perfectly with our vision to unlock the town’s fantastic riverside location, helping to attract even more visitors to explore Shropshire.

“Riverside Gardens will provide a beautiful and inclusive new space for people of all ages to enjoy and take a moment out of their busy lives. It will also serve as a new destination for outdoor community events, with a play area that’s perfect for young families – all of which will contribute to the reactivation of this part of the town centre.

“Smithfield Riverside is a truly collaborative and cross-party project, and I’d like to thank our project partners, including Shrewsbury BID and Shrewsbury Town Council, for their collective effort and the tangible progress made to date.”

Spencer Winter, Project Director at RivingtonHark, added:

“With demolition work nearly complete, we can start to look forward to the next stage of Smithfield Riverside; creating a landmark public space that will set the standard for high-quality design in this part of the town centre. Riverside Gardens will not only be a fantastic space that serves the public, but will also act as a catalyst for further development in the area as part of our long-term regeneration ambitions.”