Enterprise Zone bid to boost Oswestry business park

Shropshire Council is applying for Enterprise Zone status for the planned Oswestry Business Park, to be built just off the town's bypass.

Construction of the first phase of the business park development, which could create up to 3,000 jobs, is scheduled to start over the next year with roads built and infrastructure put in.

Developers working with Shropshire Council are drawing up outline plans for the site, which is currently agricultural land, having been assured that they will not need to carry out an environmental impact assessment.

Councillor Keith Barrow, leader of the council, said the land, just off the busy Mile End roundabout, was ideally placed on the national road network.

He revealed that the council is spending £100,000 on preparatory work for the 30-hectare site and added there has already been interest from several companies.

Councillor Barrow said an Enterprise Zone bid was about to go off to the Government, which announced an extension of the national scheme in the Budget.

"To be successful in the bid would kick-start the whole venture, giving rate relief and other incentives to companies who decide to move on to the business park," he said.

"We already have the new £4 million roundabout and road improvements at Mile End which include a spur into the business park.

"It is ideally placed, just 50 miles away from three airports, on the main north-south Wales road and on a Trans-European Highway linking Europe to Ireland.

"The site is big enough to put businesses on to create up to 3,000 jobs.

"The thing is to try and attract the right businesses. This is potentially huge for Oswestry and for Shropshire.

"More jobs mean more housing and more people which is all good for the local economy. We have planning permission for the housing on the urban extension and we have a market town on the doorstep."

Councillor Barrow said the Oswestry area had always had to compete with Welsh Government funding and incentives, which drew companies away from Shropshire and into Wales.

"Cadbury's located its factory in Chirk because of the Welsh grants, it has been incredibly frustrating," said Councillor Barrow.

"An enterprise zone would help us in Shropshire to compete."

The Government says that by last December the 24 existing Enterprise Zones had attracted 15,500 jobs around the country.