Two new supermarkets in Oswestry would bring benefits to shoppers in terms of lower prices and greater competition, a planning appeal has heard.

The claim was made by consultants representing car firm JT Hughes and guttering business Guttercrest, who are appealing against the council’s refusal of permission to build a food-only store in Victoria Road.

Councillors rejected their bid in 2010 and instead decided a supermarket should be build on Oswestry’s Smithfield livestock site on Shrewsbury Road.

Planning consultant Stuart Taylor, for the two firms, told the appeal hearing at Castle View in Oswestry yesterday there would be benefits from allowing a further store to be built.

Mr Taylor told planning inspector Robin Brooks: “Our clients’ proposal are both viable and deliverable, as described to you and we urge you to give our clients the opportunity to compete in the marketplace created by the existing supermarkets.

“This will bring benefits in terms of competition and pricing to Oswestry.

“Our clients’ site is a stand-alone site and the store proposed is relatively small in scale.”

Mr Taylor said the new supermarket would only impact upon existing food stores in the town.

The hearing was told conditions had been agreed should the inspector, who will give a decision in several weeks, grant the appeal.

These include the developers paying £150,000 towards improving bus transport and the installation of an interactive sign to tell motorists when the car park was full.

The hearing, which concluded yesterday, was told the interactive sign would avoid cars backing up on Salop Road.

Council planning officer Tim Rogers said the decision was the correct one and a consultants’ report clearly warned against allowing a second store in the town.

He said: “This advice was that approval of only one store would not cause significant adverse impact on the town centre but approval of more than one site in all likelihood would.”

Charles Green, speaking on behalf of the Oswestry Coalition campaign group, said his group still believed neither supermarket should be built.