Rail bosses today criticised proposals to build a supermarket and cinema in Oswestry, claiming it will destroy part of the town’s railway heritage.

The Cambrian Railways Trust is objecting to plans for a development, which will include a Tesco store, on the Richard Burbidge site off Whittington and Gobowen Road.

It is one of four planning applications for supermarkets to be debated by Shropshire Council later this year.

The trust leases the railway through Oswestry and has firm plans to re-open it – not only for steam trains, but for a community rail service between Oswestry and Gobowen.

Henry Thomas, railways spokesman, said: “The scheme shows ‘new pedestrian/cycle routes delivered as part of the development’ on the line of the existing disused railway track.

“It ignores the fact that the railway will have trains running on it.

“There seems to be plenty of space for a cycleway on former railway land, and a good opportunity to construct it at the developer’s expense, but there would have to be steps down to Whittington Road to continue northwards alongside the railway, a second bridge deck would need to be put beside the single-track railway bridge.

“It certainly cannot pass between the two platforms of Oswestry station, because that space will be full of railway tracks.”

Mr Thomas said the trust’s other main concern was the future of the grade II listed railway workshops which once constructed and repaired steam locos, carriages, wagons, and other items.

He said: “Independent studies state that Oswestry’s station buildings and the works are the best surviving examples of their type in the UK, categorising them as nationally significant features.”

However, he said, the developer’s heritage statement failed to recognise or address their importance. Plans include demolishing the old sheet room and gasworks building as well as the former loco running shed.

“Instead of making use of the potential of this important and historic building, the developer proposes to demolish it and use the space for car parking,” said Mr Thomas.

By Sue Austin