New public park coming to Shrewsbury next year is named

A new public park that is expected to open in Shrewsbury town centre next year has officially been named 'Riverside Gardens'.

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Located along Roushill, the opening of the new public park will mark the first phase of Shropshire Council's regeneration plans for the area between the River Severn, The Darwin Centre, Roushill and Raven Meadows.

The name has been selected after an extensive public vote. 'Riverside' received a 45 per cent share of the votes for the first part of the name while 'Gardens' emerged as a clear preference over 'Park' - sealing 74 per cent of votes.

As part of the Smithfield regeneration project, the county council collated 541 name suggestions from the public last year before a refined shortlist was then put to residents throughout January this year.

More than 1,700 people took part in the consultation, and council leaders posed outside the new public park site to reveal the new name.

Shropshire Council said demolition work on the former Riverside Shopping Centre and Medical Centre that will make way for the creation of 'Riverside Gardens' is "nearing completion".

The new public park in Shrewsbury will be named Riverside Gardens. Pictured from left to right: Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Deputy Leader, Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council’s Leader, Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID and Claire Evans, Shropshire Council’s senior programme officer.

This first phase of the regeneration project is being funded by £19 million of 'Levelling Up' funding from UK Government.

Working in partnership with RivingtonHark, the county council said it is in the final stages of appointing a landscape contractor to create Riverside Gardens.

The transition to the new contractor at the site is expected to take place this summer while the park is expected to be completed in 2026.

The council added that Riverside Gardens is expected to "transform the area" alongside improving footfall, biodiversity and flood resilience.

Work to demolish Shrewsbury's Riverside Shopping Centre in February.

It's hoped that the public park will be a vibrant and welcoming space for the community through its green landscaping, play equipment, accessible facilities for visitors, and dedicated events and performance area.

Deputy Leader of Shropshire Council, Ian Nellins said: "The new name marks another exciting milestone in our regeneration journey and aligns perfectly with our vision to unlock the town’s fantastic riverside location, helping to attract even more visitors to explore Shropshire.

"Riverside Gardens will provide a beautiful and inclusive new space for people of all ages to enjoy and take a moment out of their busy lives. It will also serve as a new destination for outdoor community events, with a play area that’s perfect for young families - all of which will contribute to the reactivation of this part of the town centre.

"Smithfield Riverside is a truly collaborative and cross-party project, and I’d like to thank our project partners, including Shrewsbury BID and Shrewsbury Town Council, for their collective effort and the tangible progress made to date."

Project Director at RivingtonHark, Spencer Winter added: "With demolition work nearly complete, we can start to look forward to the next stage of Smithfield Riverside - creating a landmark public space that will set the standard for high-quality design in this part of the town centre.

"Riverside Gardens will not only be a fantastic space that serves the public, but will also act as a catalyst for further development in the area as part of our long-term regeneration ambitions."