Does Market Drayton have the most “abandoned” town centre in the county? The question raised in a Shropshire Star feature last week has divided residents, and provoked some passionate responses on both sides.

Andy Brown, who chairs the chamber of trade, admitted the centre was in a poor state, with the derelict Corbet Arms hotel and many empty shops. He claimed the town was heavily reliant on tourism.

Responding on the Shropshire Star website, a Telford resident, Ellen said: “I went to Market Drayton shopping for change one Saturday.

“I paid £1.20 to park for three hours, which wasn’t bad, and I had no trouble finding a space at 10am.

“I enjoyed the change of scenery but my biggest problem was lack of visitor information. I couldn’t find the factory shop I specifically went there for and I stumbled on the museum too late to visit it.

“I didn’t even realise the canal went through Drayton.

“Anyone passing through cannot see there’s anything worth stopping for.”

Outraged

Sian Rushton, who lives and works in the town, said she was “outraged and angry” by claims the centre faced a bleak future.

“Just because it has empty shops like everywhere does not mean it is it is not a good town to live in,” she said.

“We have some fantastic things to offer in Market Drayton.

Pete Nicholls, from Buntingsdale, added: “Yes, to the outsider visiting Drayton in passing, the centre would look abandoned.

“But it’s only fair to look at some of the work behind the scenes being done to boost the esteem of Drayton.

Mike Todd and Sandra Sheldon, who have run a convenience store in Sherwood Crescent for 12 years, gave a first-person account of life for a local trader.

They said: “During the first four months we had a number of customers expressing interest and goodwill. However, in that first four months our income was less than £600.

“It is going to take us an awful long time (if ever) to recoup our losses.”

By Carl Jones