Riverside Gardens opened on 19 October, six weeks early: a play area, climbing boulder and a new lift from Frankwell footbridge, paid for by £18.7m of government money.

Shrewsbury’s new town centre park, Riverside Gardens, opened to the public on Monday 19 October. That is about six weeks earlier than planned. Shropshire Council announced the opening the same day.

The park sits on the cleared site of the old Riverside shopping centre, along Roushill between the River Severn and the Darwin shopping centre. In July the council said it would open in December. The council’s wording on Monday was that “the main section” has opened ahead of schedule. It did not say which parts, if any, are still to come.

What is open

According to the council, visitors can now use:

  • a play area
  • an open recreational area
  • a climbing boulder and rock formations, made from English sandstone, limestone, basalt and granite, including locally quarried Grinshill sandstone
  • a new lift linking Frankwell car park and the Frankwell footbridge to the park

The park also gives a walking route through from Frankwell to Raven Meadows. Step-free access is by Welsh Bridge as well as by the new lift.

A group of council officers, councillors, the Mayor of Shrewsbury and project partners standing on new paving beside a low stone wall carved with the words Riverside Gardens, with sandstone boulders, young trees and blue site hoardings behind.
The Riverside Gardens wall, with the climbing boulders behind and hoardings still around the rest of the site. Photo: Shropshire Council.

Changes at the Frankwell footbridge

With the lift now running, the council has put barriers at the Frankwell end of the footbridge to improve pedestrian safety. It says new signs will explain the new bridge layout and how to reach the park.

In July the council said plans for an accessible ramp onto the bridge from the car park were “currently being considered”. Monday’s announcement did not mention the ramp.

Who paid and who built it

The park cost is met from £18.7 million of Levelling Up money from the UK Government, awarded to the council in January 2023. That money also paid for the demolition and clearance of the site, according to the council’s announcement when work began in September 2025.

Morgan Sindall Construction built the park, working with RivingtonHark, the council’s development manager for Smithfield Riverside. The contractor started on site in September 2025, so the build took about 13 months.

The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Bernie Bentick, and Councillor Rob Wilson, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for transport and regeneration, cut the ribbon.

Councillor Wilson said the park “strengthens the connection between Frankwell, the river and the town centre, improves accessibility and gives people another reason to spend time in Shrewsbury.”

Richard Fielding, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction’s Midlands business, said the company expected “high demand for the flexible spaces we’ve created to host community performances and events.”

What comes next on the Riverside site

Riverside Gardens is the first phase of the council’s Smithfield Riverside programme. Outline planning permission for the next phase was granted in April 2025. It covers three plots between Smithfield Road, Raven Meadows and the park, for a mix of homes, offices and a hotel. We track that scheme on Shropshire planning news.

Until those plots are built, the rest of the cleared land stays empty. In July Tim Pritchard, the council’s Shrewsbury programme manager, said the next step was putting it to use “in a meanwhile capacity” and that the council was “exploring opportunities with partners”. No meanwhile use has been announced.

The council has also said the park plays an important part in reducing flood risk in this area of the town centre.

What it means for you

  • The park is open now. It is a free public space in the town centre, and it is the new walking route between Frankwell and Raven Meadows.
  • Parking at Frankwell? The lift takes you from the car park and footbridge straight down to the park. Frankwell is free on Sundays; our guide to parking in Shropshire has the full tariffs.
  • Step-free: if you would rather not rely on the lift, the step-free route is via Welsh Bridge.
  • Crossing the river on Friday 23 October? Greyfriars Footbridge, the crossing between the town centre and Longden Coleham, is closed from 9.30am to 4pm for surface repairs. Other closures are on Shropshire roadworks and travel.
  • Events: the park has space for performances and community events. None has been announced yet; we will list them on things to do in Shropshire when they are.