If you are currently investment planning in Oswestry and the wider Shropshire area, a project is well underway to transform the Smithfield Riverside district in Shrewsbury town centre.
The former shopping mall is being demolished in clearance work likely to be finalised within three months. The demolition is the first visual evidence of a scheme that is being steered by Shropshire Council in conjunction with development manager RivingtonHark and Cawarden, a specialist demolition contractor. It’s part of an ambitious plan to regenerate the land situated between the Darwin Centre, Raven Meadows and the River Severn.
With a £19 million boost from the government, the next phase will see a new park installed next to Roushill.
In a statement, Shropshire Council championed the redevelopment proposals as an exciting new chapter for the town centre, which it hopes will bring in new jobs, businesses, residents and visitors alike. For their part, RivingtonHark said the demolition is the culmination of two years’ planning and hard work, and represents a transformational journey for the town, creating the necessary conditions to move forward with further regeneration.
Looking ahead, a new planning application will be submitted for Smithfield Riverside, fleshing out preliminary details to develop land where the new park meets Smithfield Road and Raven Meadows. Sensitive to the area’s history, Shropshire Council and the Shropshire Archives are also curating a collection of local memorabilia from the last 50 years, called Riverside Remembered, for people with a strong emotional attachment to the area and its history.
