Supporters of the Burbidge plan outside the meeting

Anti-supermarket campaigners in Oswestry have welcomed a move by councillors to defer any decision on which one of four rival store bids should get the go-ahead.

Members of the Keep Our Town Special coalition said yesterday’s decision proved members of Shropshire Council’s Strategic Development Committee had taken their responsibilities for Oswestry and its residents seriously.

Several members of the coalition were among more than 250 people who attended a meeting of the committee at the Lion Quays Hotel, at Gledrid, to discuss the four bids.

There were also people out in support of the supermarket plans.

Coalition representative Martin Anderson spoke against all four bids during the meeting.

After four hours of talks, councillors decided to defer all applications for three months to allow further discussions to be held about highways issues on the preferred site at Central Car Park.

Further talks will also be held with the other applicants about various aspects of their bids.

Saffron Rainey, from the Keep Our Town Special coalition, said after the meeting: “The councillors are taking their responsibilities towards the town extremely seriously.

“They all seemed to understand the negative impact of the stores on the town. The arguments put forward by the coalition were considered by the councillors,” he added.

“They understood the size of the preferred store at Central Car Park is a problem. We just don’t think it is possible to have a store of that scale there.”

Simon Hoare, consultant for developer Liberty Mercian’s bid to redevelop Oswestry’s Smithfield livestock site, agreed deferral was the best option.

He said after the meeting: “They did the right thing for the town and for the reputation of the council in order to ensure the right scheme comes forward.”

The decision to defer also pleased bosses at timber firm Richard Burbidge Ltd who want to relocate and build the store on their land at Whittington Road.

By Iain St John