Oswestry park and ride scheme buyout a 'blow' to town

Developers behind the multi-million pound scheme for a cinema, supermarket and shops and restaurants were given permission on Tuesday to drop the condition for a shuttle bus linking the complex with the town centre.

Instead a one off payment of £1.3 million is to be given to Shropshire Council to invest in the town's existing bus service.

But the owners of the award-winning Upstairs Downstairs store, Yossi and Raine Gliksman, say that the funds should be used instead to change the town centre traffic scheme and provide short stay free parking for shoppers.

Mr Gliksman said the request to opt out of the park and ride condition had come as absolutely no surprise.

"I had never been able to see how the developer could afford to run a park and ride scheme for 20 years," he said.

"It was never going to happen. Park and ride was simply a carrot that was dangled by the developer to those councillors who granted planning permission for the scheme.

"Oswestry is looking good at the moment with more shops and cafes opening all the time. Its success is due to the passion that people have for the town centre.

"Losing the park and ride is yet another blow for Oswestry town centre."

The couple say money should be spent on improving the town centre for shoppers.

"We have to reopen Cross Street to traffic and get some free on street parking for those people who want to support their local traders."

"Offering some free parking would at least put the town centre on a more level playing field with the out-of-town development."

Planning permission was granted four years ago for the complex on the Shrewsbury Road to the south of the town.

The go-ahead was on condition that the developers provide a shuttle bus from the site to the town centre over the next 20 years.

But yesterday at Shropshire Council's north planning committee councillor agreed to a request to remove the condition.

Instead a one of payment of £1.3 million will be handed over to Shropshire Council to use to improve the current bus services in the area.

Councillor Arthur Walpole, committee chairman, said: " We will lose 40 car spaces. However, the funding will come back to use to use for the bus services for the area."