Warning to council over £56m retail park scheme
Saturday 26th July 2008, 10:32AM BST.
Oswestry Town Council must be open and transparent if it wants its £56 million proposal for a retail and leisure development to be successful, councillors will be warned next week.
The town council, in a partnership with Oswestry Cattle Auctions and development company Liberty Mercian, wants to transform part of the Smithfield livestock market, bringing up to 1,000 jobs to the area.
The ambitious proposals include a multiplex cinema, supermarket, restaurants, shops and an office village.
The plan will also provide more than 800 car parking spaces.
But a report to Monday’s town council finance and general purposes committee said public opinion was vital to the plans going ahead.
It said: “The key risks centre around the planning regime, public opinion and therefore it is necessary for the council to be open and transparent and communicate its aims and objectives in any capital project that it wishes to undertake.”
Since the livestock market proposals were unveiled two rival development bids have been made public.
Joinery firm Richard Burbidge wants to build a similar development on its sites off Whittington Road.
And earlier this week car dealership JT Hughes and guttering manufacturer Guttercrest revealed themselves as the third site.
A public consultation will be held on Wednesday and Thursday at the Memorial Hall between noon and 7pm.
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
