Contractor to be appointed for business park work in the New Year

A main contractor will be appointed for £6.5m worth of infrastructure work on Oswestry’s flagship new business park in the new year.

The bridge that links the town to the innovation park before it was lifted into place at Mile End

Shropshire Council invited tender applications for a raft of infrastructure work including the three main roads set to be constructed as part of the Oswestry Innovation Park scheme, with a planned start date of spring 2024.

The scheme is set to create around 800m of new road across its 1.87 hectare site, which will be joined with the A5 at Mile End Roundabout.

Planned infrastructure included in the package of works also includes pedestrian footways and cycle paths.

Tenders will now be whittled down to a shortlist of five following the closure of submissions on December 22, before a main contractor is appointed for the scheme in early 2024.

The council revealed an initial phased approach to developing the site’s infrastructure was set to be shelved to allow plots on the £17.7m development to be sold more quickly.

A tender document issued by the council earlier this month said: “Shropshire Council wishes to appoint a main contractor to construct up to and including surface course level for three roads, namely, Road 1 / Spine Road, Road 2 and Road 3 at land off Mile End Roundabout, Oswestry.

“The works shall include the construction of the proposed pedestrian and cyclist connectivity, including a shared use footway cycleway between Shrewsbury Road Oswestry, the Oswestry pedestrian bridge (currently under construction) and the OIP. The main contractor shall be required to undertake the installation of all associated street lighting / electrical works, for the above.

“In addition, the main contractor shall be required to complete associated earthworks, drainage and service ducts, road pavements, kerbs, footways, cycleways and paved areas street lighting, traffic signs, road lighting columns and associated electrical works, landscape and ecology and utilities.”

Shropshire Council says it aims to start infrastructure works in spring 2024, with the first plots available on the park by early 2025.

Last month, a £5m footbridge was lifted into place to connect the park with the town as part of planning conditions that stipulate infrastructure work could not begin on the park until the footbridge link was completed.

Mark Jones, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “Designs for the spine roads, connectivity and utilities are completed, and has enabled us to prepare an infrastructure procurement package for the whole site.

“We hope to award this contract and commence work on site from spring next year, with employment land plots becoming available from early 2025,” he added.