Riverside shopping demolition approved

Shrewsbury’s Riverside shopping centre will be demolished and a new public park built on Roushill after councillors gave plans the green light.

Shropshire Council says the long-awaited scheme will be the first phase of the regeneration of the area, after it was approved by the council’s Northern Planning Committee on Tuesday, March 5.

The application brought forward at the start of 2024 detailed plans to knock down the now vacant shopping precinct and built the new Roushill Park, which will include a play area, a public events space and an amphitheatre with steps leading up towards a new podium level.

Two further applications are set to be brought forward for the wider Smithfield site later this year, but the council says “meanwhile uses” such as pop-up events will be used to activate the Roushill Park space in the meantime.

The area also forms part of the wider-scheme’s flood management measures, with features such as the play park designed to be easy to clean once flood waters recede, a meeting of the council’s Northern Planning Committee was told.

“The application is for demolition [work] and creation of the park, though this element does form an integral part of the illustrative masterplan which will direct applications two ,three and four,” said Shropshire Council’s principle planning officer John Shaw.

“It’s considered that a phased approach would be the best way to de-risk the site and prove its viability for a mixed use development, which is why we have application one today as opposed to one grand application in one go.”

The scheme is financed by UK Government Levelling Up funding, and is subject to demolition works being completed by March 2025.

A further investigation on medieval town wall remains, currently buried under the Riverside Medical Practice, will now take place following a request from Shrewsbury Civic Society with negotiations in progress with developers to ensure there was “sufficient time to fully investigate” the ruins.

The application was supported unanimously, with a delegation to head of service to determine conditions in order to maintain the “flexibility” of the demolition works.

Porthill Councillor Julian Dean supported the scheme, and said he was pleased that the flooding measures proposed would ensure the area would make a better contribution to flood management in the area.

“The phasing seems very sensible, the fact that we have a recognition of the uncertainty around funding and that we’re de-risking the future phases makes a lot of sense and it’s a shame the council didn’t take the same approach to the £17m that they’ve just thrown at the North West Relief Road before they had a full business case,” he said.

Quarry and Coton Hill councillor Nat Green also said he would be supporting the development.

“In all of the controversies about the shopping centres is that the Riverside is owned by Shropshire Council and always has been so whatever other arguments you may have you have to remember we would have to deal with this site,” he said.

“I think this is a good scheme – as far as the first phase which is the garden and allows for flood attenuation I think it’s imaginative and is a very sensible way to go.”