Review call over Aldi store plan in Oswestry
The decision to build a new Aldi supermarket in Oswestry was undemocratic, it has been claimed.
Now town councillors want a review of Shropshire Council's planning policy after the decision to build the supermarket – and demolish a 200-year-old toll house – was passed by unelected planning officers.
Oswestry Town Council will write to Greg Clark MP, the minister for communities and local government, with its concerns following its planning and development meeting last night.
Similar criticism followed a recent Shropshire Council decision to allow 25 homes in Wem. This, too, was passed by officers.
Councillor Alan Davis said he had been shocked when he heard the Aldi application had been passed by council officers.
He said: "The application was dealt with by officers and we were not consulted and had no opportunity to make any objection.
"It was done under the desk and not in committee. It was not elected members, it was the employed officers that decided it was not necessary to go to the north area planning committee, and that was a shocking thing because a supermarket is a big thing for the town and they should have considered our opinions on this matter."
Town councillor and local historian Sandy Best raised a motion at the meeting, and also called for the planning decision to be referred to Shropshire Council's internal scrutiny committee.
Councillor Cynthia Hawkesley said: "I feel very strongly about it. I feel that a little bit of democracy disappeared over this."
The motion was passed with no objections and the town council will now ask Shropshire Council to look at the way the application was handled.
Councillor Best said
: "We've been through this very painful process of trying to save the 200-year-old Toll House and the debacle that followed. This is why I felt very strongly and felt that we have to start making inroads into changing the planning process so we don't find ourselves in the same position again."
