Blooming makeover for Stroud’s Five Valleys shopping centre

The Five Valleys shopping centre in Stroud, in collaboration with Stroud In Bloom and the volunteer team of the Stroud Valleys Project, have dug in with a major planting scheme on a key site in the town.

The transformation of Five Valleys includes major improvements to the frontage along Merrywalks where new glazing has been installed. The exterior of the car park has also been given a facelift – including a new living green wall which depicts the red thread used in the uniform of the Coldstream Guards manufactured in the Stroud Valleys.

Now the Five Valleys team have turned their attention to the area outside Fat Toni’s, Dominos and The Vue Cinema, where the borders have been planted up to create a softer and more inviting welcome to the centre.

The sustainable, perennial planting includes photinia, viburnum, spirea, spindleberry and some roses. The work is being completed in time for The Vue cinema reopening later this month.

Dionne Moore, Centre Manager at Five Valleys, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Stroud in Bloom and Stroud Valleys Project to create a really cheerful and striking display along the Merrywalks side of the centre. Thank you to Tortworth Plants for their tremendous help with this project. Also thank you to Graduate Gardeners and Pound Farm for their help with getting the borders completed.

‘This is one obviously one of the main routes into the town so it’s really important that it looks attractive and welcoming.’

The improvements at the centre include a new mall area and indoor street food market.

New paving and a striking new entrance from King Street have also been created as part of the transformation of the Five Valleys centre.

7 April 2021