New jobs hope with British Ironwork Centre expansion

A sculpture park and formal gardens planted to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot "Capability" Brown are among the ideas being drawn up by bosses at the British Ironwork Centre, near Oswestry.

The owners of the site say they can now proceed with their plans now that the fear of pylons on the land carrying electricity from Welsh wind farms has gone.

The centre has also joined forces with Shropshire Wildlife Trust to create natural habitat as a backdrop for other works of art.

The expansion could also include a slip road on and off the A5 next to the centre.

Clive Knowles, chairman of the centre next to the A5 in Aston, said creating a new sculpture park for the region had been his long-held vision.

But he said the plan had been in limbo amid proposals for a power line linking wind farms in Mid Wales with the national grid. At least one pylon would have been sited on the centre's land. But the plans have been dropped after a Government inspector refused permission for all but one of the wind farms following a year-long public inquiry.

Mr Knowles said he hoped work can start soon to create formal gardens on his fields next to the tourist attraction.

"To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Capability Brown we have had the gardens designed in his style. Visitors will be able to wander through the trees and shrubs and enjoy the strategically placed sculptures.

"As well as works of art made here we will bring in sculptures are part of the Artists on Tour scheme which we are already involved in.

"Because of the work to create the gardens and maintain them I hope that by next year we will be employing more than 100 people at British Ironworks. We currently have more than 60 staff.

"The pylon threat put a complete blight on our plans, something that I think people completely underestimate."

It is also hoped the expansion could help avoid a repeat of problems last month, when the centre had to close its doors on one day after 3,000 visitors descended on the site in two hours.

Mr Knowles said he hopes to meet roads minister Andrew Jones when he visits the area with north Shropshire MP Owen Paterson in May.

"This centre is an example of rural enterprise at its best and I would like to show the minister why good transport links in the countryside are so important.

"We have created the British Ironwork Centre with not one grant or help from outside bodies. We have lived here for 15 years, had a business here for 12 and opened to the public about three years ago."