Oswestry 'store wars' row back on

Plans for a new supermarket in Oswestry which would be three times the size of the existing store have reopened the town's "store wars" argument.

The Co-op wants to turn the former car showroom in Victoria Road into a convenience store, replacing its current shop across the road. But the new supermarket would be almost three times the size and have its own 25-space car park.

It is expected it would create 12 jobs.

The Co-op insists the new shop would remain a convenience store, for people topping up their main food shop.

The planning application for the former VW showroom has been submitted to Shropshire Council. It is the fifth bid to build a new food store in the town in recent years.

Earlier this year councillors granted permission for a superstore and cinema on part of the town's livestock market land, throwing out plans for stores on the Burbidge factory site, the central car park and the JT Hughes and Guttercrest site.

The new store would provide 226 square metres of retail space, smaller that previous supermarket applications for the town.

However the shop, if given the go-ahead, would be larger that the existing Co-op store on Victoria Road. An extended corner shop, it has 83 square metres of shopping space.

Chris Jones for Manchester-based development company, NJL Consultants, which has submitted the application, said: "The existing Co-operative store serves an established identified need for localised shopping provision alongside the other retail offer within Oswestry.

"The location of the proposed replacement store will continue to serve this existing catchment.

"The increase in floorspace will allow the Co-operative to provide an improved range and choice of convenience goods to serve the top-up shopping/basket-based shopping needs of the local residents within south Oswestry."

Chas Nicholson, from town campaign group OS21, which fought the plans for the supermarket development, said: "This is a smaller supermarket that serves the people of South Oswestry and in a way it makes the out of town development even less relevant."

By Sue Austin