Victoria Avenue got a whole lot lighter following the installation of 21 solar lights along the 1km stretch of river from Kingsland Bridge to Greyfriars Bridge.
The footpath and cycle way running through the Quarry has previously been unlit and a cause for local concern given the numbers using it and its proximity to the river.
Working with Zeta Specialist Lighting, Shrewsbury Town Council set a design brief to create a promenading atmosphere along the stretch with lighting that was respectful of the local area. There was also a need to provide a heritage look as well as providing the necessary wattage to ensure the lights would work both in the summer and the winter.
Stuart Farmer, projects manager for the Town Council, spoke of the extent of the task in hand: “Our Councillors were clear that they wanted solar lights but wanted them to be in keeping with the heritage feel of the park, so finding a solution where we didn’t have a large solar dish on the top of the light was always going to be a hard task.
“We worked with the specialist lighting company, who we recently worked with to convert all of our lights to LED, and they came up with this perfect solution. Shrewsbury is the first place to have these type of lights in the world so it is good to see us leading the way.
“It has been a great job from everyone involved in the project, including R A Allmark & Sons Limited of Shrewsbury who have helped with the resurfacing of the areas around the new lights”.
Kirk Taylor, from Shrewsbury firm Potters Electrical Limited who has been working on the project, said: “I have looked after the Town Council’s footway lights for many years and it has been wonderful to work on such a fantastic project. The feedback from passers-by has been really encouraging. Not only is this a good safe scheme so near to the river, but the public are genuinely so excited about this energy efficient lighting scheme”.
Leader of the Town Council, Councillor Alan Mosley, expressed his delight for the scheme: “Safety near to the river is very important and I was instrumental in getting the Town Council to enhance the lighting along the towpath.
“This latest scheme is an extension of that project and to see these beautiful solar proposals come to fruition is testament to the commitment the Town Council has made to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 while greatly enhancing local amenities. The hard work of our staff in coming with up with a wonderful solution for this area must also be commended. We would like to explore this technology in other parts of the town.”
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