Store giant Tesco snubs £56m Oswestry site

Supermarket giant Tesco has 'no plans' to open a store in Oswestry, bosses confirmed today. The news comes as a relief to traders in the town.

It had been widely believed Tesco would be the mystery name to move into the superstore being built on the outskirts of the town as part of the £56 million redevelopment of the Smithfield livestock site in Shrewsbury Road.

Leading restaurant chains McDonald's and Frankie and Benny's have been lined up for the site but developers Liberty Mercian are yet to reveal which store will be created there.

In the past Tesco has expressed an interest in coming to the town, but today it said there were no current plans for a store in Oswestry.

Sophie Akokhia, a Tesco spokesperson, said: "We did have an application some time ago but it got refused.

"There are currently no plans to come to Oswestry."

The news of the snub by Tesco has been welcomed by struggling town centre traders who fear their business will be hit further by the opening of another out-of-town development.

Yossi Gliksman, owner of independent shop Upstairs Downstairs in Leg Street, said: "As a trader in the town this is the best news I have heard this month."

Chas Nicholson from town campaign group OS21, which was against the development on the Smithfield site, said: "It is a puzzle over what is going to come. It is all very interesting."

Simon Hoar, planning consultant for Liberty Mercian, said: "We will make an announcement when we have signed the deal."