Shropshire Council’s strategic planning committee is due to meet today to discuss which of four rival supermarket planning applications should get the go-ahead in Oswestry.

County planning officers have indicated that the new store should be built either on timber firm Richard Burbidge Ltd’s Whittington Road site or on the Central Car Park, but only if traffic issues can be resolved.

Oswestry’s independent traders and campaigners yesterday made a last gasp plea to council chiefs to ditch all of the plans, arguing that a new supermarket was not necessary and would harm the town’s independent traders.

The four planning applications are:

• Oswestry livestock market site, Shrewsbury Road. Developers Liberty Mercian Ltd, in partnership with Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry Cattle Auction, proposes to create up to 1,000 jobs by revamping the huge site and building a state of the art multiplex cinema, supermarket, restaurants, shops and an office village. The cattle market will be downsized but protected for the future and a free shuttle bus will be introduced to the town centre.

• Richard Burbidge site, Whittington Road. The firm plans to build a Tesco supermarket, filling station, restaurants and Reel cinema on its current site and relocate its operations within the Oswestry area.The food store would employ 230 people, the five-screen multiplex cinema would create about 55 jobs and the restaurants would bring 30 jobs. Two bays in the listed Cambrian Works railway building next door to Burbidge will be developed for community and leisure use, bringing 30 jobs.

• JT Hughes and Guttercrest site, Victoria Road. John Hughes, of car dealership JT Hughes, and Gary Power, managing director of guttering firm Guttercrest, propose to create hundreds of jobs through a 40,000 square foot food-only supermarket on their current Victoria Road site. The firms plan to relocate to other locations in the town, giving them the chance to expand and create further employment. Road improvements are are also planned for Oswestry in the bid.

• Central Car Park, Oswestry town centre. Oswestry firm J Ross Developments is planning a mid-sized supermarket with caf, an increase in the number of spaces on the Central Car Park, as well as a new long stay car park on Middleton Road. Plans also includes the provision of additional shops on English Walls and investment in the town centre road network to increase safety and capacity. There is also a 170-seat digital cinema with flexible space provided, enabling live events to be staged.

The strategic planning committee will meet today 1pm at the Lion Quays Hotel at Gledrid.