Decision on Oswestry leisure centre seen as big blow
Thursday 4th August 2011, 6:59PM BST.
A decision by the owners to mothball a £2 million leisure and entertainment complex in Oswestry is a blow to the town, councillors said today.
Earlier this week it was revealed that Mclarens, which includes a fun house, a coffee lounge and wine bar in the former railway buildings, off Gobowen Road, has closed.
A spokesman for the business estimated up to 25 jobs had been lost and said it had been mothballed because of the amount of work required to meet Shropshire Council building regulations.
Bosses are in talks with the unitary authority and it is hoped the site will reopen in the future.
Today Councillor Cynthia Hawksley, Mayor of Oswestry, said: “This is another blow for Oswestry. It means less jobs for the town.
“There are up to 25 jobs gone and I feel desperately sorry for its employees.
“I do hope that the proprietors or owners manage to do what is necessary to comply with regulations in order to reopen.
“But that is no consolation to those who have lost their jobs.”
Shropshire Councillor Vince Hunt also felt the temporary closure of the centre could have an impact on the town.
He said: “There are up to 25 jobs lost, that is up to 25 people who are now looking for a job.
“Whether you are a town councillor, county councillor or just a shopkeeper or stall holder it is bad news because we want people with money in their pockets to spend in the town.”
Shropshire Councillor Martin Bennett said there were talks for the building to be used to house Cambrian Heritage Railway Museum but that may also have to be put on hold.
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Here we have a independant company trying to bring and build a business for the younger generation and are tied up with council red tape, in shrewsbury we have a multi national company that expands it floorspace beyound its planning application and nothing is done and its still trading.
Is it how deep are your pockets !!!!!
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Couldn’t agree more, and these very same councillors voted to build a massive out of town development in Oswestry which will make news like this even more common in the future. Bunch of idiots the lot of them……..
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Building Regs are nationwide (not restricted to local Council’s) and are there for safety. All Council’s have to enforce them, and in this particular case the building is being used by children. If something dreadful happened and the Council hadn’t enforced the B/Regs – who would everyone blame then?
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the council should bail them out like they did the west mid show and the banks
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no worries, the market will take care of it, some one will come along soon because we are a “harbour in the storm” and the condems have created the conditions for growth apparently so it will sort itself out in a while…
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