A PHASED MASTERPLAN
The masterplan is split into four clear zones, each with their own challenges and opportunities.
1. The key opportunity for this zone is to improve the link from the town centre to the riverside area through the creation of a new park at Roushill, which will be the first part of the first phase of development to be delivered. Alongside the park, we also intend to replace the currently derelict buildings in this zone with new offices, homes, restaurants and a cinema.
a. Footbridge connection to Frankwell
b. New public park along Roushill
c. New social destination
2. A central priority for the masterplan is to ensure that the operational needs of The Darwin Centre and Premier Inn are safeguarded. The emphasis will be on both on protecting servicing and ensuring the critical footfall from the Ravens Meadows car park and the bus station is retained.
We are also considering options to refurbish the car park to bring it up to modern standards. A new road linking Ravens Meadows to Smithfield Road is also proposed, to provide an alternative route for buses and help to reduce traffic on Roushill.
d. Proposed new avenue
3. Earlier masterplans, including the Big Town Plan and the Strategic development Framework, suggested that new buildings could be delivered on the site of the Bus Station. While this is still possible, the masterplan will also consider alternative options for the based on the outcomes of the Shrewsbury Moves consultation.
4. We envisage that the masterplan will look to deliver staged improvements to Smithfield Road so that we are able to keep in step with wider initiatives from the Big Town Plan. This will be informed by the Shrewsbury Moves consultation.
IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY
River Loop and Town Centre links
Currently, the site is a break (or gap) in the town’s pleasant network of streets and pedestrian walks. As part of this wider objective, we plan to complete the pedestrian linkage around the town centre peninsula formed by the sweep of the River Severn.
The masterplan also suggests that the green river edge could be folded into the site to create strong green links from the river to Pride Hill.
Connection to Pride Hill
A new landscaped park at Roushill will provide a green link from the riverside right to the heart of the town. It will become a gateway and create a strong sense of place from which all else grows.
Subject to our recent planning application being approved, the park will be the first part of the scheme to be constructed. Our ideas for the park are illustrated on the consultation boards
A Gateway from the Station
The masterplan considers the journey from the station to the site. Though disappointing at the moment, the planned landscape enhancements and improved connections with the station forecourt mean that Smithfield Riverside could become a gateway to the town centre.
Using funding from the Levelling Up Fund Round 2 (LUF2) bid award, Shropshire Council is proposing several active travel and public space improvements in the area.
Smithfield Road
The emerging masterplan will also look to deliver landscape enhancements along the new link. For example, improvements could be made to the northern and southern sides of Smithfield Road.
Over time and in step with wider Big Town Plan initiatives, the masterplan will consider how to calm Smithfield Road and make it more accessible and inviting for pedestrians and cyclists.
Riverside Phase One
The plans below showcase the first phase of development, which will be split across a series of planning applications over the next year. The first application, which includes the new park on Roushill, was made in December 2023. Application Two covers the outline scale and massing of buildings in the centre of the site, and Application Three is for a new social destination on the site of the Pride Hill Shopping Centre.
A NEW RIVERSIDE PARK
Roushill Park will be the beating heart of Smithfield Riverside, breathing new life into area through the provision of new green space, trees and planting, while helping to improve biodiversity and flood resillience in the town centre.
The park will include raised terraced seating overlooking the River Severn and the Welsh Bridge on one side and out onto the Events Space on the other. The Events Space is where we envisage theatre, live music and cinema screenings could take place.
The section of the park further along towards the town centre will feature play equipment for children of different ages and an open events and performance space.
Roushill Park will be planted with new trees and plants for pollinators - boosting biodiversity in the town centre. The park will collect surface water runoff into Rain Gardens, which will create new habitats for birds and invertebrates, and help to alleviate flooding in the area.
SMITHFIELD RIVERSIDE OUTLINE SCALE & MASSING
The outline application for Smithfield Riverside will consist of rules that dictate and control how the development could be brought forward. Any future development will be subject to a reserved matters planning application, which would set out the detail of the actual design, in adherence with any outline consent. This would be subject to consultation, like any other detailed planning application.
PRIDE HILL SOCIAL DESTINATION
The brand-new social destination on the site of the former Pride Hill Shopping Centre will create a vibrant hub of activity along the currently underused Raven Meadows. Just a few meters from the new park on Roushill, this area will form a vibrant and bustling connection from the Darwin to the riverfront and help make Smithfield Riverside an enticing, welcoming destination for locals and visitors alike.
This new social offering will include a cinema and food outlets, as well as a terraced link to Roushill Park and a covered shopping arcade leading onto Pride Hill. This will improve connectivity and accessibility from Frankwell and the riverside to the rest of the town centre.
For more detailed information on applications two and three, please see our stage 2 consultation boards.