Shropshire Council has unveiled proposals for a huge re-shaping of the Riverside area of Shrewsbury, in what would be one of the county’s biggest ever development projects. This is a major opportunity to transform Shrewsbury’s town centre for generations, creating a truly 21st century destination and experience, taking the town
Plans for an advanced manufacturing training hub in Shropshire have been announced, with the aim of supporting ‘2020 learners by 2020’. The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT), which is led by a consortium of Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering and training provider In-Comm,
Shropshire Council has unveiled proposals for a huge re-shaping of the Riverside area of Shrewsbury, in what would be one of the county’s biggest ever development projects. This is a major opportunity to transform Shrewsbury’s town centre for generations, creating a truly 21st century destination and experience, taking the town to the water to create a stunning riverside attraction. This is the future of Shrewsbury that respects its past, reconnects it to the River Severn, transforming how we work, how we spend our leisure time and what the town has to offer. The river has always been central to Shrewsbury, and this now brings that full circle to create a new focal point and a fresh addition to a historic town centre, in tune with the fast-changing world around us, opening up to one of Shrewsbury’s greatest assets – the Severn. This is a game-changing mixed-use development combining new leisure attractions, vibrant hospitality and public space, a new quayside and hotels to support the town’s existing retail while bringing new workspace that can attract high quality jobs into the town. A place where you arrive by a brand-new eco-friendly bus, on your bicycle or somewhere you can park – and charge – your electric vehicle. A place you can work in a zero-carbon office and enjoy a vibrant mix of shops, restaurants and bars – all next to the new quayside fronting on the River Severn. A development that will create almost 2,000 jobs, see a modern, friendly multi agency hub and offices open with 500 spaces for workers, allowing the public to access what they need where and when they need it. Somewhere with a brand-new bus station, a high-quality transport hub kitted out for modern vehicles with more charge points, better lighting and bigger spaces. A destination that will see 270 new homes built, offering the chance to live, work and relax in the middle of a green, modern town centre. This transformation should help Shrewsbury attract 750,000 new visits a year and substantially increase investment and footfall for the benefit of existing businesses across the county as part of a wider £800 million investment in the town under the Big Town Plan. This is chance for Shrewsbury to transform and thrive in a changing world and offer everyone using this part of the town a unique experience and the chance for the town to continue to evolve and open a new chapter in its long and vibrant history.
Plans for an advanced manufacturing training hub in Shropshire have been announced, with the aim of supporting ‘2020 learners by 2020’. The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT), which is led by a consortium of Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering and training provider In-Comm, will provide a “high-tech environment for individuals to learn from engineering experts on the latest technology”, which will involve working on real life manufacturing situations. Supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, work will start on fitting out the 36,000 sq ft building on the Stanmore Industrial Estate in January 2017, with plans in place to create dedicated fabrication, foundry, lathe, metrology, milling, robotics and vehicle trimming sections, as well as a specialist CNC Zone and spray booth/mixing capabilities. There will also be an auditorium lecture theatre, bespoke learning environments, five vehicle ramps and a rolling road test facility. It will look to support 2020 learners between now and 2020 and this will largely involve developing apprentices in advanced manufacturing and engineering, giving employers a strong pool of skills to tap into as they continue to compete globally. In addition to this, there will also be capacity to work with 400 companies on developing existing manufacturing professionals up to Level 7 qualifications, covering business improvement techniques, team leadership, vehicle body repair and paint, vehicle body building, technical development, quality and continuous improvement. Matthew Snelson, director of Grainger & Worrall and managing director of the MCMT, said: “We believe the MCMT is critical to closing the skills gap for Shropshire businesses, but we are under no illusions that we will need the rest of local industry, education and training to play their part. This could be through informing how the provision develops, using the services and even offering time and expertise to help with delivering some of the learning.”
