A businesswoman claimed today she had abandoned plans to complete a £2.5 million leisure and entertainment complex in Oswestry because of a dispute with Shropshire Council.

Hotelier Stephanie Booth bought the former railway buildings, off Gobowen Road, with plans to transform it into a large indoor play centre, cafe and wine bar.

She has spent £750,000 on the scheme, created 75 jobs and had intended to invest about £2.5 million.

Last weekend she held a spring event to celebrate the completion of the complex’s first phase.

But today she said she had walked away from the project blaming “hassle” from the unitary council.

She claimed: “Shropshire Council has opposed me every single step of the way and therefore I have decided to walk away from this project.

“The total project would have cost £2.5 million and employed 150 full-time equivalent jobs but it is time to cut our losses and move on.”

She claimed the council was threatening her with legal action for reversing illegal work carried out on the building in the past, that she was not allowed a state-of-the-art kitchen and that she was stopped from serving hot pastries in the coffee bar.

She said: “I have worked with a lot of councils with premises in London, Birmingham, Newcastle and Bristol and never had anything like this.”

“I am 65 years old and have not that much life left. I will invest in a town that wants us. Oswestry is not the only town.”

Mrs Booth and her husband own and run half a dozen hotels including the Bryn Howell, Wild Pheasant and Chain Bridge in Llangollen.

Simon Alton, a Shropshire Council spokesman said: “Planning officers have been in contact with the owner since January to stress the need to apply for and receive building regulation permission for the work.

“We have also made it clear that the design must be approved before the building opens.

“We have been consistent in advising of the importance of getting the fire safety aspects of the building approved.”