First plans submitted for Shrewsbury town centre’s riverside regeneration

Illustrative view – looking southeast towards the proposed Wall and Amphitheatre from the north of Roushill Park (looking away from the river).

Following weeks of public consultation this autumn, the first in a series of planning applications for the Smithfield Riverside regeneration project in Shrewsbury is now submitted.

Led by Shropshire Council and its development manager, RivingtonHark, Smithfield Riverside is the ambitious 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 £19 million 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 landmark new public park adjacent to Roushill – helping to breathe new life into the area, creating a green and attractive public meeting place, and improve biodiversity in the town centre. 

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.

The next planning application is due in early 2024.

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.

“Although this specific application relates to the proposed public park on Roushill, it was great to start conversations about the wider masterplan in general and future phases. We appreciate that there is a clear desire from the public to understand how public transport and car travel will change over the coming years in-and-around the town centre. These early conversations will serve us well as we enter formal public consultation on the Movement Strategy in 2024.”

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.”

The first Smithfield Riverside public consultation, which ran for four weeks across October and November, saw around 15,000 people engage online, 500 in-person engagements and over 400 people left direct feedback.

The overall public and stakeholder response to the plans has been positive, with the plans for the park receiving 75% support and the wider masterplan vision receiving 73% support.

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.”

Some key themes regarding the new park that came from the public consultation included a desire for more pedestrianisation in the area, the need for a safe and well-managed space, a clear plan for regular flooding and enhanced accessibility for all.

The first Smithfield Riverside planning application (23/05402/FUL) is now available on the Council’s planning portal and a decision will be made at a Local Planning Authority committee meeting in early 2024.

Fronted by Shropshire Council, Smithfield Riverside is being supported by an expert team of property and regeneration specialists, including RivingtonHark, FaulknerBrowns Architects, Spacehub Landscape Architects, Arup and Counter Context.

Illustrative view – looking northeast towards the proposed Event Lawn and Amphitheatre from Roushill (looking towards the river).