The emerging masterplan for Smithfield Riverside builds on the vision and key principles set out in the Big Town Plan (2018) and the Shrewsbury Masterplan Vision (2021).

The overall quality of the design will adhere to the high standards outlined in the Shrewsbury Town Centre Design Code, which was shaped following public consultation.

The Smithfield Riverside masterplan has also been designed in response to the principles contained within the emerging Movement Strategy: most notably in terms of improving walking routes and connections in-and-around the town centre.

This is ultimately why Shropshire Council, under the previous administration, purchased the centres. The true value of the decision to purchase the three centres is that we now have full control over the future of the area – we are the landowner of the entire site.

It was always the intention to move to having just one shopping centre and two areas of prime development land, which the planning application for the demolition of Riverside formalised. This will allow us to create something more commercially sustainable and future proof our town centre.

Shropshire Council, supported by the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Partnership, secured £18.7 million of Levelling Up Funding from Government to further support the regeneration of Shrewsbury town centre. Most of this funding has been allocated to demolition and enabling works on the Smithfield Riverside site, including the delivery of the new Riverside Gardens. These funds are not drawn from local council tax payments and cannot be diverted to other spending. Smithfield Riverside funding is not connected to the Council’s revenue budget, which funds local services.​

Phase One of the project focuses on the area around Roushill and Pride Hill, so Raven Meadows car park will remain open throughout this stage of the development.

In the longer term, feasibility studies will be undertaken, alongside the larger masterplan development, to best determine the use for this area.

Although the current bus station sits within the wider long-term regeneration site for Smithfield Riverside, it does not fall within the Phase One boundary. Therefore, there are no firm plans to refurbish or develop a new bus station at this stage.

Any future plans for the bus station would be subject to extensive public consultation and consultation with bus operators.

The second planning application which covers outline Plans for three new mixed-use buildings on the site of the Riverside Shopping Centre, was granted outline planning permission in April 2025. This secures the principle of the development, with more detailed plans to follow later on.

Updates on the status of further applications made for future phases will be added to this website as they are available.

The new Riverside Gardens green space is anticipated to be ready for use in late Autumn 2026. A date will be confirmed nearer to completion. 

Changes in market appetite, alongside the Council’s decision to utilise the Guildhall for its town centre accommodation, have resulted in the proposal to bring forward a multi-agency hub being paused at this time. There are, however, plans to deliver more much needed housing on the site, responding to government housing targets and supporting town centre living through the delivery of high-quality homes for families and professionals in the heart of Shrewsbury.

Following the demolition of the Frankwell Bridge steps, a temporary ramp has been installed and will stay in place until the new lift is ready.

Shropshire Council is aware that the existing bridge structure is not Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)/ Equality Act 2010 compliant due to gradient issues, regardless of any improvements being made to the approaches. For this reason, our long-term aim, alongside the Big Town Plan, is to replace the bridge. This has huge financial implications so in the meantime we are prioritising improving access to both ends of the bridge, and are pursuing options to provide step free access on at the Frankwell approach to/from the bridge, preferably with a new ramp arrangement. This challenge is exacerbated by the flooding issue that can have a huge impact on the Frankwell side.

Riverside Gardens is a different sort of space to the Quarry. It is intended to offer residents and visitors something different, rather than competing with existing spaces. We should also not forget that until the 19th century, the site was an open meadow, with pedestrian links along the historic ‘wall walks’.  This new urban space is intended to act as a green pedestrian link and will also create a buffer and ‘edge’ to the future development site.