Businesses grow in Oswestry
A market town mayor has welcomed news that two businesses are expanding and two new shops are opening.
Properties in Cross Street in Oswestry that have been empty for some years will reopen this summer, one as a retail unit for the Nightingale House Hospice, the other as a pop up shop for the Designs in Mind art studio.
The Meat Man in Oswestry has confirmed it is looking to open a new, healthy food bar while award-winning Booka booksop is expanding into the upstairs of its building in Church Street.
Mayor, Councillor Vince Hunt, said: "It's brilliant to see existing businesses expanding and committing their long term future to the town. Its also great to see that those empty shops in Cross Street are getting filled.
"Oswestry Town Council and Shropshire Council have worked hard to get this problem sorted."
The town council has been in regular touch with agents, calling for the empty properties in Cross Street to be actively marketed.
"Some might say Oswestry is a small town but is a small town that punches an awfully long way above its weight," Councillor Hunt said.
"In the next few months we have got the food festival, which always attracts lots of visitors to the town and we have just appointed market champions who, alongside the markets manager, David Clough, are looking to improve the overall customer experience in the markets."
Tim Morris from Booka Bookshop said the business opened eight years ago and said it was the right time to expand.
"We are well established in Oswestry now and we are optimistic this new move will help us move to the next step."
With a move to healthy eating, The Meat Man's Tom Brown said he saw a gap in the market for a health bar in the town which will create five new jobs.
"People are fed up of eating unhealthy meals and takeaways. More people are exercising and eating clean, times are changing."
The Jolt pop-up shop in Willow Street will run from July 8 to 22 and will sell the retail range from the nearby Designs in Mind studios.
Nightingale House which provides support for people on the Shropshire and north Wales border, says it does not yet have an opening date for its shop.
