Talks revealed over Oswestry supermarket delay

Oswestry Town Council has admitted its disappointment over the delays over the 16-acre Smithfield site on Shrewsbury Road – originally part of the town's livestock market.

Planning permission for a £45 million scheme to include a large supermarket and a cinema was controversially granted in 2011 as part of a plan to build a new state-of-the-art livestock market.

The livestock market is now up-and-running but the rest of the site remains empty.

When the project was first announced, developers said the entire complex would be finished this year.

Until now the town council has simply voiced "frustration" over the delay in the scheme.

But in a report to councillors who will meet to set the coming year's budget on Monday, town clerk David Preston has given more details about what has been happening behind the scenes.

"Due to the changing policies of original partners and lengthy planning delays, disappointments have been experienced," he says.

"Discussions with Morrisons remain positive and ongoing to ensure that the site is brought forward for use at the earliest opportunity, subject to planning and a new partnership agreement."

The council has already received a £3 million capital receipt from the Smithfield development and it also retains all the land at the site from agreements in place.

"The council will receive revenue income annually for site rent. Further capital receipt is anticipated," the report says.

Councillors are expected to go into private session to discuss the Smithfield site on Monday.

A condition of the original planning application was that the cinema and other infrastructure must be completed before the supermarket could open.

Since planning permission was granted two budget supermarkets, Aldi, now open, and Lidl, have both been given permission to build new stores within half a mile of the proposed complex.

There have been fears that the supermarkets will kill trade in the town centre.