Town councillor slates shopping centre decision
A former Shropshire councillor says he finds it incredulous that the unitary authority is to buy three shopping centres in Shrewsbury.
Duncan Kerr, an Oswestry Town councillor for the green party, is asking the town council to write to the Shirehall objecting to the plans by Shropshire Council to take over the centres.
Councillor Kerr has put a notice of motion to the meeting of the finance and general purposes committee of the town council on Monday asking it to back his views.
He said: "It is incredulous and concerning that Shropshire Unitary Council has agreed to pay nearly £60 million for three shopping centres in Shrewsbury and committed a further £18 million to improve Shirehall.
"Even if the scheme does deliver the envisaged return, it will mean that for the foreseeable future Shropshire Unitary Council will be dependent on the trading of three retail centrs in Shrewsbury to provide statutory car services on which vulnerable people in Oswestry have to rely."
He suggested building houses would be a better alternative.
"It it wants to make a return by investing instead of buying shopping centres, which are forecast to have a difficult time as internet competition increases, they should be meeting the needs of residents by building over 700 new council homes across the whole of the county including Oswestry.
"In its actions Shropshire Council is committing nearly £70 million to Shrewsbury to add to the cost of the northern relief road for that town. It is becoming clear that its priorities don't extend beyond the ring road of Oswestry."
The town council meeting will be held at the Guildhall on Monday at 7pm.
