Partners remain committed to Shrewsbury Big Town Plan
Shrewsbury Big Town Plan has welcomed a new face to the partnership as the team looks forward to the next stage of the process.
There is a firm message of continued commitment from the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Partnership as Councillor Ed Potter becomes Shropshire Council’s new representative following the recent elections.
Councillor Potter is the Cabinet member for economic growth, regeneration and planning, and said he was pleased to be involved with the Big Town Plan.
“A great deal of positive work has taken place over the past five years between Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council and Shrewsbury BID, which culminated in the publication of the Masterplan Vision earlier this year,” he said.
“The public response to that vision has been really encouraging and it is clear there is a need for this kind of collaborative approach to shape the future of Shrewsbury.
“It’s worth remembering that the Big Town Plan is not a rigidly-defined planning document, it is an ethos and a way of working, and we remain very much committed to continuing this positive work both now and in the future.”
Councillor Alan Mosley, leader of Shrewsbury Town Council, welcomed Councillor Potter to the partnership and said he looked forward to working together.
“I would echo Councillor Potter’s comments about our commitment to this partnership, and it has been heartening to be part of such positive collaboration for the good of our town,” he said.
“There are plenty of challenges for us to work through, and the recent consultation into the Masterplan Vision made it clear that traffic and movement in and around the town centre remains the most contentious issue for people.
“Arising from those comments and other recent developments I hope we can go on to commission a substantial consultancy to undertake a thorough re-evaluation of the Movement Vision.
“Having an overarching strategy with clear principles for how we want Shrewsbury to develop is vitally important, which is why I am proud of our work to get the Big Town Plan to where it is today.
“We have come a long way, and there is still much to do - together.”
James Handley, a director of Shrewsbury BID, said the Big Town Plan was an important framework to enable a strong partnership approach to how Shrewsbury can develop in the future.
He said: “We have always been very clear, right from the beginning, that the Big Town Plan would change the way we planned for the future - in the sense that we wanted to work together, with an holistic view, rather than decisions being taken individually.
“Over the past five years, that collaboration has resulted in numerous benefits - not least in how effective we have been in working together to ensure the town centre could react and adapt to the necessary Coronavirus restrictions.
“On behalf of the partnership, I would like to thank Peter Nutting for his contribution as leader of Shropshire Council, and I am looking forward to continuing that positive relationship with Councillor Ed Potter and the new leader, Councillor Lezley Picton.
“As Councillor Potter says, the Big Town Plan is a way of working, not simply a document to sit on a shelf. It is a resilient, flexible framework that is vital to ensuring we are all committed stakeholders in the future of our wonderful town.”
