Shropshire Star

Oswestry business backing improvement plan

A project to make a Oswestry into a business improvement district has received the backing of business owners.

Published
Tom Brown, owner of Heat Health Bar

Oswestry BID, who will make the town a designated zone or area to benefit from a wide range of additional services above those funded through commercial rates and council services.

Through a survey held this year, the majority of business owners have backed the project, and others have said they want to wait and see what a business plan will bring to the town.

Ian Follington, who is leading the Oswestry BID gave a presentation to the town council recently to update them on the process.

He said: “We updated the council, and told them our aims and it is positive, as positive as it could be.

“As the survey showed over half of the businesses would be willing to sign up, and the others want to see the business plan.

“It is a great place to be at the moment, because people want to see what value they get out of it, not worried about extra money.

“Businesses that are in Oswestry are doing the best thing can and doing well, there has been a bit of a drop off.

“But things are great, the businesses and council have been supportive and now we are working towards that ballot in January.”

It comes as two new businesses in the town have reported positive starts to trading.

Heat Health Bar opened just a few weeks ago, and have already had queues out of the door with customers waiting to replace their unhealthy lunches with hearty meals.

Chef Harry Davies said: “Everything has gone really well since we opened, it has been mad really.

“The town needed something like this and asked for it, so we have give it to them and everyone has reacted really well.

“On Christmas Live night it was packed, it was great to see.

“There was a gap in the market, and we offer a whole host of stuff so I think it is what Oswestry really needed.”

Liar Liar, a cafe at the top of Bailey Street have also recently celebrated a year in business, and said they have been busy in the run up to Christmas.

Cafe manager Jess Jones said: “We were really busy on the evenings of the Christmas Lights switch on and Christmas Live.

“We stayed open until 9.30pm. When there are special events the people of Oswestry really respond and come out and enjoy themselves.”