Critics claim a £56 million plan to redevelop Oswestry’s livestock market site will create nothing more than an out-of-town retail park which will destroy the town’s character.
Objectors attending last night’s annual meeting of the town council said that they feared the ambitious proposals would also kill off the smaller shops in the town centre.
But town councillors, who are behind the scheme, say it will safeguard the future of the livestock market and bring in shoppers and visitors.
They say they are working for the thousands who live in the town, not just a small group of objectors.
The plans include a supermarket, a five-screen cinema, three restaurants, non-food retail units, an office village and car parking along with modernisation of the cattle market in Shrewsbury Road.
The town council is working with developers Liberty Mercian Ltd and Oswestry Cattle Auctions on the scheme which it is said could create 1,000 jobs.
Character
But objectors claimed development equated to an out-of-town retail park which would bring about the decline of smaller, independent, shops in the town centre.
They said they wanted the character of Oswestry to be retained and not killed by making it the same as other centres such as Wrexham, Chester and Shrewsbury.
But despite the opposition, deputy town mayor Gareth Jones insisted the council was committed to the redevelopment plan.
And Councillor Martin Bennett revealed the council had “wrestled and agonised” over the issue for four years.
He added: “We have to do what’s best for the 14,000 people in Oswestry not just the 20 or 30 people who are here tonight.”
Mayor Doris Barrow said the council had worked tirelessly to bring to the community a scheme that is “challenging in terms of improving leisure, recreation, retail and employment in Oswestry”.
She added: “Importantly, the scheme will safeguard the future of the livestock market that impacts significantly upon so many long established local businesses and the agricultural industry.”
2 Comments
What character!
The area needs the development and investment, It is a small dirty market town with inadequate parking, strewn with litter and charirty shops.
From my information the decission of the development was decided back in april last year, and there were several plans on show at that time, but because this development was the one offering more money either through the new supermarket or developers, for the new revised cattle market to be built, as the only reason was because the town council owns it. Plus i have been informed that the town council has signed a agreement with the developers.