Ideas sought on making town area more vibrant

Areas being focused on in Abbey Foregate are Abbey Hardware, The Crown and The Abbey.

Public consultation is being carried out over how to make an area of Shrewsbury more "vibrant and pleasant" for locals and visitors.

The Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Partnership wants people's views on potential changes that could be made to areas in Abbey Foregate, particularly between Abbey Hardware, The Crown and The Abbey.

Improvements could include new public seating, traffic calming measures, cycle parking and additional outdoor spaces for businesses, however there are no plans to change vehicle access there.

The survey can either be completed online or in person via a walking tour - which involves a 30-minute walk around the area.

Other changes could include new planting and greenery, as well as efforts to tidy the area such as refurbishment of the red phone box in front of Shrewsbury Abbey.

The improvements form part of the wider "Shrewsbury Moves New Spaces and Places programme", which has received government funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

"The Shrewsbury Big Town Plan, and the subsequent Movement and Public Space Strategy is about putting people at the heart of the place," said councillor Rob Wilson, from Shropshire Council.

"Using this type of consultation method demonstrates the importance we are placing on how people feel when they are in areas of Shrewsbury and what we can do to make things even better."

Seb Slater from Shrewsbury Business Improvement District added: "This project is about understanding how people experience Abbey Foregate today, so we can make improvements that will contribute to a more vibrant destination for people and support local businesses to thrive.

"By focusing on experience as well as access and design, we can help create a space that feels welcoming to visitors and customers, increasing the amount of time they spend in this key gateway to the town."