A crunch meeting to decide the fate of three major supermarket plans in Oswestry might not be able to go ahead this month – if reports are not ready in time.

And if the applications are not ready to be debated at the special meeting planned for March 25 it will be up to the new Shropshire Council to decide which will be approved.

Oswestry Borough Council planners have been working to get reports ready for councillors to make a decision on the proposals. But today they warned the meeting will not go ahead if they are unable to present full information on all of the applications.

Developer Liberty Mercian wants to build on Oswestry’s livestock market, timber firm Richard Burbidge wants to build a store in Whittington Road and JT Hughes and Guttercrest plan to build a supermarket in Victoria Road.

A panel of councillors was set up last year in preparation for when all three applications would be ready for determination.

Councillors say it is vital the decision on the supermarkets is taken locally, using councillors with local knowledge.

But Edwina Smart, the council’s principal planning officer, said: “There is a lot of work to be done but if we can get it done in time the applications will be presented to a special committee on March 25.

“If all the information needed is not ready the meeting will not happen. There is no point having the meeting if we have incomplete information on any of the applications. For example, there are highways directions covering all three applications at present which are being looked at.”

A proposal by Oswestry-based developers J Ross Developments to build a supermarket on Central Car Park is not likely to figure in the discussions. No application has been formally lodged with the council although it was outlined to the January meeting of Oswestry’s Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs Smart said: “We have not had an application regarding the Central Car Park and will only give information to the committee on the applications we do have.”

Council leader David Lloyd said the special panel of councillors was “on stand-by” but said it was vital all the applications were complete before they were discussed.

By Iain St John