50 jobs on the way as Shrewsbury car supermarket plan is approved

Evans Halshaw has been granted permission to build a new car supermarket at Battlefield Enterprise Park.

The move will bring more than 50 jobs to the town and see the firm, which has dealerships all over the country, open its first outlet in the town.

Currently the only Evans Halshaw car supermarkets in the county are in Bridgnorth and Newport.

Evans Halshaw applied to Shropshire Council for permission to build a new sales centre, service, repair, valet and MOT centre and wash area on Vanguard Way.

The council granted full planning permission this week using its delegated powers.

Under the scheme Evans Halshaw says it will create more than 50 jobs and will operate on a seven-day week basis in certain departments including sales, admin and servicing.

The jobs will range from the head of the dealership to accountants, sales executives and administrators, service technicians, drivers and parts advisers. The firm will be looking to recruit locally and will also take on graduates with a starting salary of £21,000.

Approval comes after a heritage statement, supplied by Archaeological Building Recording Services, said that although the proposed development bordered the original Battle of Shrewsbury site, it was of insignificant importance and made little impact.

They said: "The proposed development areas are located within a sensitive heritage location, but the proposed development will not greatly affect the significance of the known heritage assets."

The site has previously been subject to bulk earth moving operations and is not therefore considered to hold archaeological interest.

Initially Historic England had asked for the scheme to be deferred or refused on the grounds that further investigation of the site be carried out. But it modified its concerns and said that although they did not object 'to the principle' of the developments on the site they did have some concerns regarding the impact the development on the registered site of the Battle of Shrewsbury 1403.

In a letter to Shropshire Council, Alison MacDonald, assistant inspector of ancient monuments at Historic England said: "The heritage assessment which accompanies the application highlights that there will be an impact on the significance of the Battlefield due to the development within its setting. Historic England feels that the impact of this development could be reduced."

Evans Halshaw started in 1927 as a family business and since has gone on to become one of the country's leading new and used car and van retailers. The company has over 150 showrooms across the country.