A Shropshire town will have more grocery floor space than any other similar size town in the country if developers win their appeal to build a new store, it was claimed today.

Developer Liberty Mercian has been given permission to build a supermarket on the Smithfield Livestock site, in Shrewsbury Road, Oswestry, after four different companies applied to Shropshire Council to build a store in the town.

Applicant J Ross Developments, which wanted to build on Central Car park, saw its plans rejected earlier this year. The company has lodged an appeal against the decision.

Today members of the Oswestry branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England revealed it has been carrying out research for its objections to the appeal planned to go ahead in February.

CPRE members say their studies have shown that granting permission for a new superstore would give Oswestry more grocery floor space than any other similar town in the country.

The findings come from data from Experian, the leading retail analysts, to compare Oswestry’s existing supermarket provision with the equivalent floor space in other market towns with similar sized catchments and large superstores. Oswestry came out top in the research.

Charles Green, from CPRE, said: “This research further exposes the flawed analysis used to justify a superstore being foisted on Oswestry.

“The superstore race means developers in any town in the country can use the argument that a big new store will ‘claw back’ trade ‘leaking’ to the next door town.

“Our figures again show that Oswestry simply does not need a new superstore on this scale. What will be the cost to the town centre of the council’s decision?”

Simon Alton, a spokesman for Shropshire Council, said: “Members of the planning committee came to their decision after full consideration of the three applications and taking into account the officer reports, government planning guidance, the local development plan, comments submitted as part of the consultation, and other material planning considerations.”

J Ross Developments’ plans included a store as well as a cinema and a traffic gyratory which they claimed would improve the town.

The applicant said the store would not create traffic problems and its architectural design and materials of construction would preserve and enhance the character of the Oswestry Conservation Area.