Morrisons to be at heart of Oswestry livestock site development

Supermarket giant Morrisons will be at the centre of a £45 million development in Oswestry, creating more than 300 new jobs, it was revealed today.

The deal has brought Oswestry’s updated and improved livestock market a step nearer.

Those behind the complex, which will also include a cinema, said work could start on the livestock market within six months.

After that it could take up to a year before the shopping and cinema side of the development begins. The development will create more than 400 jobs in total.

Planning permission was granted in 2011 by Shropshire Council for the redevelopment of the 32-acre Smithfield Livestock site on the Shrewsbury Road.

Half the site will be retained for an improved livestock market with the other half becoming a shopping and leisure complex.

At the heart will be the Morrison’s superstore and a CineUk five screen cinema. Big name restaurants, Fran-kie and Benny’s and McDonalds have taken out leases.

Morrisons says it will employ 325 staff with 40 others employed in the cinema, 65 at McDonalds and 30 in Frankie and Benny’s

Chris Towers, for developer Liberty Mercian, said: “It provides real confidence to the scheme. Morrisons is an incredibly popular supermarket operator.”