£56 million scheme for town
Tuesday 26th February 2008, 11:44AM GMT.
Up to 1,000 new jobs could be created by £56 million plans to transform a Shropshire livestock market – one of the biggest developments in the county in decades.The ambitious proposals include a state of the art multiplex cinema, supermarket, restaurants, shops and an office village on the outskirts of Oswestry town centre.
Development company Liberty Mercian Ltd entered into an agreement with Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry Cattle Auctions in 2007 to bring forward a mixed use planning proposal on part of the livestock market site.
They say the current site is far larger than the requirements of the market, but funds generated from the redevelopment will allow Oswestry cattle auctions to deliver a significant upgrade of the livestock market.
The plans, which are set to be submitted to Oswestry Borough Council as an outline planning application, cover 36 acres, 20 acres of livestock market and 16 acres for new mixed-use development.
It includes a five-screen multiplex cinema, a supermarket with petrol filling station, three restaurants, non food retail units such as DIY, furniture and computer shops, an office village, car parking for 868 cars, landscaping and improved public transport links to the town centre.
It also includes changes to access, pens, offices, sale ring, new animal store, vehicle washing and drainage for the livestock market.
Chris Towers, of Liberty Mercian, said: “This is a very attractive site that is capable of delivering the range of development that the town needs in order to compete on an even footing with Shrewsbury and Wrexham.”
The plans will be unveiled at a public consultation on Thursday and Friday at the Memorial Hall, Smithfield Road. Councillor Doris Barrow, town mayor, said: “This proposal is exciting for Oswestry and meets the council’s aims of securing the future of the livestock market alongside bringing improved leisure, retail and employment to the town.”
Roy Jones, on behalf of Oswestry Cattle Auctions, said they welcomed the partnership efforts to secure an exciting future for the market.
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Fantastic! this is just what Oswestry needs! will be great if it happens!.
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Great news for oswestry,but if there are many new shops it could kill of some of the independant traders in the town.
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Bland, uninspired and the death knell for many independant traders in Oswestry. This is just what a market town like Oswestry DOESN’T need – You only have to google “hometown or clonetown” to see the raging debate over previously unique and attractive towns being crushed when large out-of-town developments wiped out the town centres. Oswestry is good because of independent stores like Stans rather than Tesco’s, or Dykes rather than B&Q… do you want to loose these locally owned businesses and the already existing jobs (maybe even yours) to national multiples who don’t care for Oswestry, just the profit they can generate here? More jobs, yes. Replacement jobs, No. We need quality employment providers to invest here not low-waged replacements for what we already have….
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now what the town really needs is a new charity shop.
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This is just what Oswestry needs but, with trade in the town centre already struggling, surely basing this in the location it is will kill trade in the town centre?
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Charity shops, thats all Oswestry has to offer the shopper at the moment and lets have more! The place looks tired and dirty so lets have some regeneration into the area.
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if these plans go ahead then oswestry will be a better place to live for the4 children
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wow this wil make out town great
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Do we need a supermarket? No. The council have already researched a cinema for Oswestry. Did they find we could sustain a 5 screen? No. Do we need a solution for parking? Yes. Is the value of commercial property in free-fall? Yes. Is the council desperate to sell the land? Yes. What happens when the cinema closes because it has empty seats? What do we have left? A supermarket. Because we only have Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Somerfield, Marks & Spenser’s, Fresh Express…and Morrisons (it is believed)…so do we need another.
Wake up Oswestry! Your town is about to get open-heart surgery.
Act now and tell the council – thank you but no thanks.
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