Shrewsbury ‘failing to meet its potential’
Sunday 3rd October 2010, 11:00AM BST.
Shrewsbury is a town which is seen as “failing to meet its full potential” and does not have a high enough profile regionally or nationally, a study has claimed.
That is the verdict of a study focusing on how to reshape the town’s fortunes over the next 20 years by attracting more investment, jobs and developments.
The Shrewsbury Vision document was unveiled yesterday to focus on ways to develop and regenerate the town in the next two decades.
Featuring everything from new shops, a new food store, new department store and more restaurants, cafes and bars bringing a wealth of jobs, the Shropshire Council document is a vision for how the town could move forward.
It is currently out to consultation and a further report is expected to go to the authority later this year – with bosses vowing it is simply ideas and suggestions with nothing set in stone.
The document focuses on the challenges which need to be addressed.
The document says: “Shrewsbury is an attractive, historic market town which can offer a high quality of life. However there are still a number of challenges to be faced.
Education
“These include a sense that the town is failing to meet its full potential (and) a lack of profile in the region and nationally which reduces the ability of the town to attract and retain investment.”
It also focuses on other challenges including the out-migration of younger adults for education and employment, issues of traffic congestion particularly in the town centre and a lack of larger “high street” names, meaning people shop elsewhere.
The Shrewsbury Vision puts forward priorities and objectives for the heart of town as to renew areas of “relatively poor environment and greater potential” such as Riverside, West End, Frankwell, Abbey Foregate and Castle Foregate.
It also wants to reduce the impact of traffic and congestion in key areas, significantly enhance retail in the town centre and the role of the river, consider the potential of some vacant or underused gateways – entrance points.
Over time the vision calls for a reduction of traffic on roads such as High Street and Smithfield Road, and the refurbishment of places such as the Market Hall.
It also poses suggestions for if organisations were to move from their existing buildings saying the Royal Mail Delivery Office in Castle Foregate could become high quality office development and the prison could be re-used as a hotel and conference centre – if either were to ever relocate.
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Ooh, have they rebuilt Gay Meadow?
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It does not surprise me the flower show seems to be the only event that matters an ice rink in the quarry would of been great for all ages but the idea was dismissed we cannot compete with other towns & cities nearby unless we exept that Shrewsbury has to alter with the times we can still keep the charm whilst doing it, but also consider the next generation of kids growing up.
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Well I hear what you’re saying, but personally I like the charm of Shrewsbury as it is. I hate it when you go to ‘achieving’ towns like Chester and guess what the same big outlets with the same lack of flare and imagination-and have you ever tried parking in Chester?? I go to Shrewsbury because I like the small Cinema (Old Guildhall) I like the small town feel and the friendliness and I like the independent Shops and lovely coffee shops. Yes Shrewsbury has parking problems. But then there is adquate park and ride or God forbid you could try parking out of town and yes WALKING into the centre. It is a medieval town – it wasn’t designed for Ranger Rovers and SUV’s and Other cars!Call me old fashioned but that is the charm of Shrewsbury-especailly around Christmas Time! Perhaps an out of town Designer outlet would kill off the centre. So why not just focus on that for the centre (Paul Smith, Debenhams, Outdoor shops etc. Just a thought, but please let’s not let narrow minded town planners ruin the charm of Shrewsbury.
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i totally agree with you robbo,
i like shrewsbury the way it is, keep it medieval, keep it small, keep it walkable, keep it local people owning the shops etc, thats the right way to go, NOT aping telford or london or where ever
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One wonders how much ratepayers money this study cost. This report comes only days after learning that this same council were thinking of raising the cost of parking in the town centre. All these fanciful ideas of new shops etc. are just pie in the sky if people are not using them, and that seems to be the case at the moment.
Still, I suppose it gave someone a job for a while, (at the ratepayers expense of course), and it looks as though they will be employed to waste their time again in the future.
Whilst conducting this study, did they not take note of the empty premises in the town, and the amount of trade the out of town places are doing?.
The blind leading the blind.
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“more restaurants, cafes and bars bringing a wealth of jobs”.
Well, some low paid jobs . And not the jobs that would generate economic prosperity so that more people are able to eat out.
Shrewsbury would continue the myth that restaurants create wealth. They don’t. They succeed when the rest of the economy prospers.
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Just give us free parking and lots of it and the rest will follow
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It’s the councillors who have molded the town into the peseudo disneyworld presentation called ‘the town that stood still’
that need to be relocated.
When they do spend our money and a lot of it, they pour it into concrete foundations so we can a have an unsuccessful and very expensive badly designed theatre, totally in the wrong place.
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That comes as no surprise. This town has been systematically run into the ground for the last fifty years. No forward thinking technological company would waste their time investing here when all your youthful intellects have left for university towns, and there is little in the way of infrastructure. Here are a few things for you to start with.
1/Construct the north west relief road to ease congestion on that side of town.
2/Run the M54 right through to Machynlleth and turn the A49 into a motorway and run it from Ellemere Port to the M4.
3/Develop a centre of technical and academic excellence fit for the 21st century and attain university status so that the youth and the earning potential are not leaving in droves.
4/Fast broadband. If what we have to put up with now goes any slower then the earth will spin the other way.
5/Build an airport between Telford and Shrewsbury to allow produce in and out of the county unhindered.
6/Start using some of the brown field sites such as Crown house, Pride Hill house and the empty office space above the market hall, the last thing Shrewsbury needs right now are more financially dependant heritage centres, unused office space and cafes.
I fear my thoughts may fall on deaf ears but if you don’t do something about it then this town will turn into a stagnant oxbow with the stench of lavender wee.
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I agree with your point 4. The abysmal broadband around Shrewsbury is only going to place more and more barriers in the way of companies wishing to locate here.
Alas I also think the chance of it being sorted out before the stench of “lavender wee” overwhelms us all is pretty remote. Maybe when they start streaming Last of the Summer Wine repeats in HD we’ll get some investment :)
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Thank you BShatner,
I left this town in 1985 after thrashing my head against the wall for too long and only came back to look after ailing relatives, but I have learnt that at only 44 years old I too have a life. So I shall be on my way shortly. I bid you well and wish you all the best in cracking the “Nuts.”
I shall continue to post and support the cause.
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Simon also noted the very out of date aerial
photograph used in the story. It’s about time
somebody woke up then perhaps other things
might come to pass!!!!!!!
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More shops and cafes are not going to save Shrewsbury. Try electrifying the line to Wolverhampton, allowing for fast, direct services to London Euston. Create new, large enterprise parks for technology and manufacturing companies. Build decent family homes, not more random 1 and 2 bedroom apartments.
Really, it’s not difficult. But alas, apparently all Shrewsbury needs is another department store! What muppets.
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I agree with the report’s overall findings. I find it insane that we do not make more of our river.
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Well the town could do with some heavyweight department stores on Riverside since the area is a dump. You can look and comment on the plans at http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/shrewsburyvision
what are we going to do about traffic in the centre? Pedestrianise the lot – at least during the day.
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Lose the ” we don’t like outsiders ” attitude, The people seem to look down their noses at anyone who lives within a 30 mile radius. Thats why the Welsh visit Hereford/Chester, and the people of Telford visit Birmingham/Wolverhampton.
Even Al Murray cracked a joke about it at the Theatre Severn the other night..
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Couldn’t agree more Kevin – sadly it will die as it deserves without a radical new outlook. This is just typical of the “local authorities” in general – ignore the locals and then commission a “consultant” to tell us what most of the locals already know.
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Who’s Kevin ?? and i didn’t mean the local authorities, i meant the people who live there. Its very diffacult to feel welcome in Shrewsbury ( unless you are from the Zutphen town twinning committee )
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Shrewsbury will never meet its potential whilst the council believes that the pathetic road infrastructure is good enough to allow people to get in / out.
Any commuter who was travelling to work between 7am and 9am today will know what I mean. Town at a standstill because of ONE vehicle overturning.
If nobody can ever get in/out due to poor infrastructure, endless roadworks and parking that the majority will soon need mortgages to afford, who in their right mind would want to invest, let alone visit Shrewsbury?
And for those who use Park and Ride? Other towns (Chester and Swansea come to mind) use different routes for P&R buses making it an effective mode of travel. We dont and it is not!!!
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I left to get better opportunities via Poly (now Uni)in Sheffield, and to play in indie rock bands.
I love the town and come back regularly to see friends and relatives and to support STFC. I would only move back if a Uni was created as my daughter would have to travel and then probably move to gain employment. New restaurants are not the answer they are going bankrupt at present!!
Inward investment, Uni, better infrastructure and tech’ connections (broadband)are essential. Keep the centre as it is and make it further pedestrianised and prioritise park& ride schemes.
Shrewsbury is a lovely town but really can’t expand too much anyway so will probably continue much as it is. I plan to retire there when I can afford to in 20+ years time…
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