Phil Gillam: Riverside centre making waves

Out on a limb from the main shopping areas of the town, it could also be, in years gone by, a rather bland, unwelcoming and cold place in which to wander.

But, having had its ups and downs, it now turns out that it is a place of success – in more ways than one.

Yes, there is reason to celebrate.

Because – despite other centres in the town suffering from having several empty shops – the Riverside Mall's units are all full, and its managers say business is booming.

The centre has had a curious recent history.

You see, this 1960s shopping centre on Smithfield Road (linked to Frankwell car park by a pedestrian bridge over the river) became Shropshire's first Social Enterprise Zone in April 2014.

It was taken over by the community interest company Phoenix Centre Management.

Why was this? Well, because there were plans to demolish and then rebuild Riverside as part of an ambitious (some might say "over-ambitious") £184 million scheme to link the Pride Hill and Darwin shopping centres, all this to be anchored by a flagship department store. The new super-complex was also to include 50 new shops, 10 restaurants and a car park, and all this was to be completed by August 2017.

Needless to say, this scheme was shelved. Economic factors and all that.

But of course during that period when everyone was talking about demolition and a new centre emerging from the rubble, most of the businesses in the centre understandably moved out.

Remember it once had a Co-op supermarket, a Ryman stationers and a Greggs sandwich outlet? Wilkinson, the hardware, homeware and garden products store, was among the very few to stay where they were.

The centre became quiet and lifeless.

But then Phoenix Centre Management moved in.

The phoenix project was the brainchild of former Shrewsbury Mayor Jon Tandy who had been working with the Shrewsbury Shopping Centres and social enterprise firm Imagematch to get it off the ground.

"Today the Riverside Mall is bustling and vibrant, full of start-up businesses, charities and social enterprises. All of its shops are open for business. It is now a destination in itself rather than being just a walkway between the bus station and the rest of the town," said Phoenix director Mark Gibson.

"We have created an environment where start-up businesses and Social Enterprises can prosper in an incubated environment, offering them intense support and commercial opportunities they could not easily source elsewhere. We have created new jobs and training opportunities for the long-term unemployed and other marginalised groups including young people and individuals over 50 as well as those with disabilities and other health related conditions.

"In turn this has generated a significant and measurable social and financial return to the community.

"We aim to carry on our work in the Riverside and develop the project to enable more people to benefit from our experience and continue the regeneration of the area.

"If you haven't been already, pop down to Riverside Mall and see for yourself."

Now, I said earlier that Riverside has become a success in more ways than one. What I meant by that was that firstly, all its shop units are full which is an achievement in itself.

But secondly, it has – as Mark Gibson says – provided employment for marginalised groups and has generated a social (as well as financial) return to the community.

That really is worth celebrating.