Openreach cabinets in Shrewsbury town centre get vibrant new look

Just some of the newly-painted cabinets

A project to give broadband cabinets a vibrant and colourful new look has been completed in Shrewsbury town centre – with the promise of a trail to come later this year.

The murals have coincided with the completion of improvement work in Mardol and Claremont Street, with a prominent Openreach cabinet in Mardol Head being the final one of more than a dozen cabinets painted by local artists.

Emma Molyneux, of Shrewsbury BID, which coordinated the project, said the murals had attracted a lot of attention.

“We have been absolutely delighted by the response. People have been stopping to take photographs and the murals are a hot topic of conversation throughout the town.

“All of the artists have done an amazing job. We asked them to come up with designs using the theme of animals, linking with the location of each individual cabinet.

“We are now in the process of creating a mural trail so people can follow a map around the town centre to spot every one.

“It’s a lovely way of brightening up the town centre by using objects which would ordinarily be part of the background – we want to say a big thank you to the artists and to Openreach for agreeing for the cabinets to be used in this way.”

The final cabinet to be treated to an artistic makeover was at the top of Mardol Head, becoming the finishing touch to the improvement works as part of the Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package delivered by Shropshire Council.

Ed Potter, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for economic growth, regeneration and planning, said:

“These murals are absolutely wonderful and have made a real difference to the town centre already.

“It is yet another way to make Shrewsbury more appealing to residents, shoppers and workers and I want to thank the artists and Openreach for allowing it to happen.”