Interest in cinema for Shrewsbury development

A 3D rendering of a proposed new retail development for Shrewsbury's former Riverside shopping centre

Shropshire Council hopes to enter discussions with cinema operators as the masterplan for Shrewsbury’s Riverside redevelopment begins to take shape.

Demolition of the vacant former Riverside shopping centre got underway this month and the authority has now completed a consultation on its initial vision for the mixed-use town centre site.

The site is set to include a number of new homes, a new multi-agency office building, and a range of leisure uses.

The council’s finalised initial plan will go before full council next week, with the authority now set to begin talks with cinema operators on a potential “boutique cinema” which is earmarked for the site.

"The Smithfield Riverside programme continues to proceed at pace and is attracting interest from regional and national developers and investors," a report by director of place Mark Barrow said.

He said the planning process had identified potential development plots that could accommodate various uses, including cinema operators and hotels.

Mr Barrow added that the authority's development manager had been approached by cinema operators who were interested in opening a facility at the site.

An aerial view of Shrewsbury's Riverside Shopping Centre, Raven Meadows car park and Smithfield Road

If approved, the council said its discussions could be concluded by the spring, allowing for detailed designs to be drawn up in conjunction with any appointed operator.

The authority also said it was receiving interest from hotel operators in relation to one of the other proposed plots on the site, and plans to undertake further market research about the inclusion of a hotel as part of the development.

However, £1.4m of funding previously allocated to creating designs for a new multi-agency council office building will now be scrapped in favour of progressing with a planning application for the wider Riverside scheme.

Demolition works on the existing shopping centre are set to complete by the end of the year, with a new public park on Roushill set to open in spring 2025.

The report will be submitted for approval at a full meeting of Shropshire Council on 21 March.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, X, and Instagram, Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]