Shropshire Star

And finally: Delight as Shrewsbury Pride Hill work is completed

It has taken 17 months and a change of contractors but Shrewsbury's Pride Hill was finally reopened today, with praise for its design from shoppers.

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Councillor Ann Hartley with town crier Martin Wood and consort Sue Wood

Shropshire Council admitted that it had been a 'difficult' project and thanked shoppers and the shopkeepers for putting up with the disruption and noise that plagued the part-pedestrianised street many months after the work should have finished.

Wellington-based McPhillips took over the high-profile work in February after the contract was taken off Casey Group. Casey had been due to finish it in November last year but missed the deadline and the work was halted for Christmas to protect trade.

The cutting of the ribbon

After more than a year of criticism, the opening ceremony was a time for positivity. It was revealed that the bespoke benches designed for the scheme had become so sought after by other towns, that they were now known as the 'Shrewsbury bench'.

The opening ceremony, heralded in by Town Crier Martin Wood, saw Shropshire Council chairman Ann Hartley cut the ribbon to declare Pride Hill open.

"We must thank all the shop keepers and traders for putting up with all the disruption and the noise over many months," she said.

The 'Shrewsbury bench' has proved a big hit

"We had a serious setback when we were let down very, very badly by the first set of contractors and I thank Phillips for taking over midway and finishing it off so beautifully.

"Shrewsbury is bucking the trend as a busy town centre and the new look Pride Hill can only help."

The work, part of the council's £12 million Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package, has been carried out in conjunction with the Marches LEP, BID and Shrewsbury Town Council.

It has included resurfacing the pedestrianised area with high-quality materials to reinforce the character of the street, replacing street furniture to reflect the high quality finish, reducing street clutter, improving pedestrian connections at either end of the street, emphasising key access points with the street with the use of informal banding and enhancing the setting of High Cross.

The completion of the Pride Hill refurbishment work

Matt Johnson, who oversaw the work for Shropshire council, said Pride Hill was part of a five-year scheme of improvements for the town, which included the Meole Brace traffic system.

He said the scheme had taken into account the needs of people with mobility issues and visual impairment.

"There is a chequerboard effect at the top and bottom of Pride Hill so people with visual impairment can distinguish the kerb," he said.

McPhillips project director, Andrew Dunham, said the company had been proud to be involved in a local contract.

"It was challenging taken over midway however the shopkeepers have been fantastic and understood what we had to do. Communication was the key."

Shoppers gave their praise to the new look Pride Hill.

Pleased

Debbie and Simon Leppard moved to Shrewsbury from Portsmouth.

"We were worried when they started to dig up Pride Hill. But the work has been worth it, it looks fantastic," Simon said.

Debbie said she was pleased to see seating, and litter bins the length of Pride Hill.

"It is great to see people using the bins. It is a great shame that delivery vans can still use the area but I understand that deliveries still have to be made."

Sue Wood, who uses a wheelchair, is chairman of the Shrewsbury Access Group and praised the design for taking into account the needs of those with mobility problems and visual impairment.

"Because the street furniture is all to one side it means that people in wheelchairs can made their way down up or down the hill without having to weave in and out of the benches. The surface of Pride Hill is also much less slippy than it used to be."