Night parking call to boost town

Part of Oswestry Town Centre should be opened up as an evening car park to help boost the night time economy, it has been claimed. The proposals centre on Bailey Head.

Councillors want the home of the town’s open air market to be brought into use as a formal evening parking spot.

But it comes despite Shropshire County Council calling for a parking enforcement sign to be placed on the wall of the Powis market building.

Town councillors say such a move would also jeopardise the outdoor market.

The square in front of the imposing Guildhall and indoor market building is full of market stalls on Wednesdays and Saturdays as well as during the monthly farmers market. But the rest of the time it is an empty piece of land.

The council’s markets and car parks committee has been asked to give permission for a new, parking enforcement sign, which would declare the area a pedestrian zone with no parking at any time and no loading on Mondays to Saturdays, between 10am and 4pm.

But councillors have pointed out that that would stop market traders using their vans to set up and take down their market stalls. One trader even runs a hot food business from a van on the Bailey Head on market days.

Councillor Betty Gull said: “Parking on the Bailey Head would give motorists the chance to leave their cars in the town centre and would be a real benefit to Oswestry’s night time economy.”