'Pleased and disappointed!' Leader's mixed reaction after Shropshire learns fate over Levelling Up millions

The Government has revealed its decision to award £18m of levelling-up funding to support the regeneration of Shrewsbury town centre.

However, bids were for funding to regenerate and revitalise Craven Arms and Oswestry and to reinvigorate public transport across Shropshire, were rejected.

Shropshire Council says it will continue to lobby government, and where possible seek alternative sources of funding, to help make these important plans happen.

The successful Shrewsbury bid will fund two complementary infrastructure and public open space projects, essential to realising the ambitions of Shrewsbury’s Big Town Plan.

The Smithfield Riverside redevelopment programme will accelerate the regeneration of around 1.2ha of brownfield land, enabling mixed-use low carbon waterside development, "significantly improving" Shrewsbury’s employment, productivity, incentivise private sector investment, whilst addressing flooding and increasing opportunities to live in the town.

And a range of associated transport, active travel and public realm interventions near to the town’s gateway rail station will also be undertaken.

For Craven Arms, a bid was made to deliver a major infrastructure project including a new roundabout on the A49, a new road, and a road bridge over the railway line. The Oswestry bid aimed to regenerate the town through a package of projects.

And the public transport bid sought funding for a new on-demand bus service, and a re-imagined Shrewsbury Park and Ride service.

Lezley Picton, leader of Shropshire Council, said: “The announcement is on the one hand very welcome, but on the other very disappointing.

“The funding for Shrewsbury’s town centre’s regeneration is great news and confirmation of the value and jobs that it will bring to Shropshire’s economy. It means that we can now proceed with our plans to redevelop and regenerate the Riverside area of the town.

“However, we had held very high hopes for all four bids, particularly our bus bid that would impact across all of Shropshire, and we were confident of receiving even better news than we have done.

“These plans do not simply stop here. In the next few weeks we’ll be revealing more information about the on-demand bus service, and how we plan to improve public transport in the county.

“Our schemes for Craven Arms and Oswestry predate levelling up and we will continue to seek alternative sources of funding to enable them and our public transport overhaul to progress; we’ll review any opportunities to bid for these again to ensure these can happen as quickly as possible.

“We want to create a healthy economy, stimulate jobs and growth in our towns and to support Shropshire businesses. And we want to reinvigorate public transport in the county because we know that for many residents in Shropshire’s vast rural areas good public transport services is vital to get them to work, leisure and social activities, medical appointments or college.

“We understand that there were £7bn worth of bids from a fund of £2bn, so appreciate that not all bids could be successful. However we remain absolutely behind our plans and are committed to do all we can to make them happen because these would benefit so many people across Shropshire.” The bids, summarised below, are aligned with the council’s Shropshire Plan and the key LUF criteria set out by the Government."