'Ahead of time and on budget': Shrewsbury's new riverside park opens months earlier than expected

Fencing is coming down at Riverside Gardens, allowing the public to enjoy the county’s newest park weeks earlier than initially expected.

While there is a little soft landscaping still to do, Riverside Gardens in Shrewsbury officially opened to visitors for the first time on Monday afternoon.

When work began on the site two years ago, the park was the first stage of the Smithfield Riverside programme - a massive, multi-million pound project to transform the area between the River Severn and The Darwin Centre.

The massive scheme included demolishing the former Riverside Shopping Centre and doctor's surgery, alongside plans to convert part of the Pride Hill Shopping Centre into a cinema and redevelop the site for a hotel, offices or residential accommodation.

But as the rubble was being cleared away earlier this year, the programme was put on hold as Shropshire Council revealed it would be focusing on capital schemes capable of generating income or strengthening the authority's precarious financial position.

Work on Riverside Gardens continued however, backed by UK Government Levelling Up funding, with the council hoping the new green space would boost footfall, enhance biodiversity and improve flood resilience.

The new space includes a climbing boulder made from English limestone, basalt, granite and locally-sourced Grinshill sandstone, as well as a lift enabling step-free access from Frankwell footbridge.

While it was initially thought that the park would remain off-limits until December, contractors were busy removing the perimeter fencing so that the public can enjoy the new space from this week.

At the soft opening on Monday afternoon, Rob Wilson, Shropshire Council's portfolio holder for transport and regeneration, revealed the scheme was “ahead of time and on budget”.

“It's an incredible piece of public open space,” he said.

“It's like nothing else we've got in Shrewsbury. I know we've got the fantastic Quarry and the Dingle down the way, but this is something different. It's a great place to to come out of your office and have your lunch.”

In the coming days, the town council’s horticulture team will be moving in to work on the beds and borders.

Councillor Wilson also highlighted the potential for more public open spaces around the recently-flattened area.

“There's a large amount of space that, in the future, will be development land. But in the short term, that's going to be some additional open space for people to enjoy. And the plans are coming forward on that at the moment,” he said.

“Hopefully by next year we'll see something happening over there and that space will be open for people to use, as well as the fantastic new Riverside Gardens.”

He said the new park could also help attract investment to the town, with the surrounding land offering opportunities to bring more homes and jobs to Shrewsbury.

“I think this open space says that Shrewsbury is on the up. It's a place to come and invest in,” he said.

“And I think if we bring people down here who might want to invest, they're going to be really impressed by this and think Shrewsbury is a place that they want to put their money and bring additional homes and jobs to the town.”