Shrewsbury retains Purple Flag accreditation for another year
Shrewsbury has once again been recognised as a safe place to enjoy a night out, with the renewal of its Purple Flag status.
The Purple Flag accreditation is awarded to towns which have a thriving night-time economy which is safe and enjoyable for everyone.
James Hitchin, chair of Shrewsbury Pubwatch, said being awarded the Purple Flag for the seventh year was positive news for visitors, residents and businesses alike.
He said: “We are proud of the work we do together through the pubwatch group to keep Shrewsbury a safe and welcoming place during the evening.
“The town centre has a fantastic array of pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, many of them independently-owned, which contribute to a vibrant nightlife, but there are always challenges which come with managing a night-time environment.
“Through a variety of initiatives, and most importantly a commitment from venue operators to work together, we are delighted that Shrewsbury has once again been officially recognised as a safe place to enjoy a night out.”
Stephanie Mansell-Jones, of Shrewsbury BID, which coordinates the Pubwatch group, said: “Shrewsbury’s night-time economy is quite rightly seen as one of the town’s growth areas, and retaining the Purple Flag accreditation is great news.
“One of the key initiatives introduced over the past year has been the Shrewsbury Rangers project, which has brought regular safety patrols to the town centre both during the day and in the evening.
“The rangers provide a visual reassurance which has been very well-received by businesses and the public, particularly at night.
“Another successful initiative has been the river safety campaign, with a series of films being launched recently on social media, which will continue over coming months and years to keep pushing the message of looking after each other and avoiding walking home along the river.
“We will all continue to work together to keep Shrewsbury a safe environment in the evenings, and we are delighted to have been awarded the Purple Flag accreditation again.”
Inspector Ben Tanfield, of West Mercia Police, said: “BID deserve a lot of credit in achieving the renewal of Shrewsbury’s Purple Flag status and we were happy to support their efforts in any way we could.
“The assessors for the scheme came out to see the Safer Neighbourhood Team as well as others involved in policing the town’s night time economy and I gather that they were very happy with what they saw.
“We will continue to strive to make nights out in Shrewsbury safe and enjoyable and we are committed to a visible police presence at night in the town centre.”
