Work starts on Oswestry superstore and cinema site

Fences were being set up on the 16 acres of land off Shrewsbury Road on the edge of the town yesterday – the site of the old livestock market.

A five screen Cineworld cinema, Morrisons supermarket, Frankie & Bennys and McDonald's restaurants are expected to be built as part of phase two of the project.

Finishing touches are being made to the new Smithfield market which has been concentrated on to just half its original 32-acre site, freeing up the old site at Shrewsbury Road for the new retail development.

Roy Jones, chairman of the Oswestry Cattle Auctions, said that phase one, the livestock market, was almost finished.

"We have now vacated the 16 acres of land and handed it over to Morrisons.

"Builders are still working on a huge shed that will act as a cover for the lamb pens and there are still finishing touches to be made to the new livestock market, such as some road and other surfacing and tidying up.

"This project, which will rival anything in Europe, has been completed without the market having to close at all. There has also been no drop in trade at the market, for which we have to thank our farmers. They have stuck with us through the construction work and we now have these wonderful new facilities.

"The old livestock market was build almost 50 years ago in 1967 and I hope these new facilities will take us forward another 50 years."

A spokesman for Morrisons, which signed up to the new development after planning permission was granted by Shropshire Council in 2011, said: "I can confirm that there are now contractors on the site in Oswestry, under Morrisons' instruction."

There are several conditions attached to the planning permission for the complex including ones that say that the infrastructure and the cinema must be completed before the supermarket is opened. The development is due to be completed in 2016.