Oswestry business land needed now 'or firms will leave'

The warning was given at a meeting of Oswestry Chamber of Commerce which had been called to allow Shropshire Council chiefs to outline future employment and housing plans which are set to transform the town.

Among the plans is the development of Oswestry Innovation Park on the edge of the town, which Shirehall bosses hope will create hundreds of jobs.

However, the meeting on Wednesday heard that the park will not be completed for some time, and was also told by a commercial property expert that businesses needed new employment land to be made available now.

Stuart Phillips from property consultants Celt Rowlands and Co said: "There is a big demand for industrial land and a tiny supply.

"The demand for industrial land is now. There are companies in Oswestry quite literally desperate for land.

"We will lose employers and we will lose employees."

Firms 'want to see Morrisons land released'

Mr Phillips said land which was earmarked for a new Morrisons supermarket should be used to meet the demand for employment land. The land on Shrewsbury Road remains derelict after the store plans fell through.

He added: "Businesses would really like to see that land released."

Mr Phillips urged Shropshire Council bosses to resist any moves to have the site used for housing.

Shropshire Council Deputy Leader Steve Charmley told the meeting that the Shrewsbury Road site remained an important site to the economic development of Oswestry.

He said: "In my view the majority of that site should remain as employment or leisure land.

"I don't see it as a particularly valid site for housing."

He added that despite reports to the contrary, nobody had approached the council recently with a plan for the site.

Shropshire Council's head of economic growth Gemma Davies told the chamber meeting work was being done to ensure Oswestry had the right infrastructure to cope with plans for the Innovation Park, as well as plans for up to 750 new homes.

She said the council was putting together a strategy to ensure Oswestry prospered in the future and that included retaining the businesses already in the town, attracting new investment and developing key talent and skills.

Important site

The A5 corridor was an important site for the economic strategy and Oswestry would play an important role in the economic growth of Shropshire, she added.

Shropshire Council's growth programme and strategy manager Hayley Owen told the chamber meeting the authority was keen to drive development for Oswestry to improve the town and its economic opportunities.

She said she welcomed the decision by Oswestry firms to back moves to transform the town into a Business Improvement District, and insisted the council would be working with the BID team.

Ian Follington from the BID team insisted it was important that local firms have the chance to benefit from the building work and development planned for Oswestry.

He said: "If businesses that come from other parts of the country or overseas get the work, that's an opportunity missed for the town itself."