New Lidl store set to open in Oswestry after delays

Forty jobs will be created at the site by the supermarket, which will open its doors at the former JT Hughes car dealership site at the junction of Shrewsbury Road and Victoria Road, on February 23.

Despite the jobs boost for the town, Councillor Paul Milner, mayor of Oswestry, said he was concerned about the effect roadworks currently outside the site are having on motorists.

Temporary traffic lights are in place outside the site to allow for work to improve the junction for motorists and pedestrians.

Councillor Milner said: "The highways is one of my main concerns, so I do hope Lidl gets it right.

"If they don't, people will avoid the Shrewsbury Road entrance into town and instead use more residential streets as short cuts such as Roft Street, which will cause problems for residents.

"That junction isn't great as it is, so I do hope it gets sorted."

A spokeswoman for Lidl said it was hoped the improvement work would be completed by the time the shop has opened.

Councillor Milner said although he welcomed the new jobs and variety for shoppers, he wanted people to make a point of using Oswestry's independent traders where possible.

He said: "It's great to have variety but I just hope people don't go as far as Lidl and then not bother coming into the town centre because that footfall is so important, especially to independent traders."

Lidl will be the seventh supermarket in Oswestry once it opens next month, as the town currently has two Aldi stores, a Sainsbury's, Morrisons, M&S Food and Iceland. There is also a long-standing planning permit on the table for another Morrisons store on part of the Oswestry livestock market.

Lidl was due to open the new store ahead of the busy Christmas period.

But, after it was discovered the land was contaminated, the date was pushed back.

At the time, Sophie Lambert-Russell, communications officer for Lidl, said: "While conducting enabling works at the site on Victoria-Shrewsbury Road, we can confirm that we have been working to remove contaminated land left behind from when the site was used as a gas works.

"We have been working closely with Shropshire Council and the Environment Agency and all contaminated soil has now been removed from site, where necessary, and disposed safely and in accordance with regulations governed by Environmental Health. We would like to reassure the local community that there are no public health risks associated with this."

The contamination was left behind from when the site was used as a gasworks.

Last month, Oswestry Town Council called for urgent talks with retailer Lidl and with Shropshire Council about the access to and from the store from the busy Shrewsbury Road.

The shop will open at 8am on February 23.