The ombudsman has been asked to intervene in a row over controversial plans to build a supermarket, cinema and restaurants on Oswestry’s Smithfield livestock site.

Campaign group Oswestry Coalition says the decision to give the go-ahead for the Smithfield development was not justified and has lodged an official complaint with the Ombudsman.

The move was revealed yesterday at an appeal hearing into Shropshire Council’s decision to refuse Oswestry firms JT Hughes and Guttercrest permission to build a supermarket on land at Victoria Road.

Councillors rejected the Victoria Road bid in 2010 and instead decided a new store, along with a cinema, restaurants and offices, should be built on the Shrewsbury Road livestock site as part of a £56 million redevelopment of the land

The firms’ appeal hearing concluded yesterday after two days of evidence.

Planning inspector Robin Brooks said he would give a decision on whether the Victoria Road store should be approved in three to four weeks.

Charles Green, for the Oswestry Coalition, said the group did not believe the town needed the Smithfield supermarket, let alone a second store at Victoria Road.

The hearing was told objectors had had three months to seek a judicial review after the Smithfield decision in October 2010, but no challenge was made.

He said: “We did not have the resources to mount a judicial review. But because we do not agree that the decision was completely valid and properly justified we do still have complaints under investigation with the Local Government Ombudsman about that decision.”

Roger Birtles, a planning consultant for Liberty Mercian who are behind the Smithfield plans, said the councillors’ decision was correct and said the town would benefit. And Shropshire Council planning officer Tim Roger also said proper policies had been followed in the Smithfield decision making process.

See also:

• Two Oswestry supermarkets a boon appeal told
• Oswestry supermarket decision was flawed, say firms
• Oswestry supermarket plan appeal under way