Shropshire Star

Oswestry business park project 'is still on track'

A regional economic body says it will continue to press for a major business park to be built on the edge of Oswestry until it becomes reality.

Published
Graham Wynn

Setbacks have hit plans for the Innovation Park on Oswestry town's bypass, next to the Mile End Roundabout.

Chief executive of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, Graham Wynn, said this week that the project was still on track.

He said that the success of Shropshire's market towns would play a vital part in the economy of the county in the future.

"We do not want to see Shropshire become simply a tourist destination, important as the tourism economy is," he said.

"We need to see businesses and industry move into the county and the Innovation Park is key to this."

"It is strategically placed close, an ideal site for business."

Mr Wynn said that there had been problems but said these were being ironed out.

"There was a problem getting power to the site but that been resolved with plans for an energy scheme now in the pipeline. Highways England is still not happy with the access to the park off the Oswestry bypass but negotiations are progressing."

"The Innovation Park will happen. Shropshire Council wants it to happen and the Marches LEP wants it to happy and we will continue to press for it until it it built."

It had been hoped that work could start on the site by the end of the year.

But the scheme hit the buffers in the summer when Highways England said it was not happy with the access off the Mile End Roundabout.

The 60-acre park could bring major new businesses to the Oswestry area and those involved with its planning say it could mean 1,500 new jobs.

Marches LEP had set aside funding for what will be a multi-million pound project.

Mr Wynn said the future of the business park was still on track, provided the problems could be solved.

Opposite the Innovation park site there are plans for up to 600 homes with access of the Shrewsbury Road. The outline plans include a pedestrian bridge over the Oswestry bypass to allow people from the homes to walk to work.