Plans to extend business park near Oswestry

Artillery Business Park, on the outskirts of the town, is home to a number of businesses. Now owners Evans Enterprises want to expand due to a demand for employment accommodation on the park.

This week a planning application has been submitted to change the use of land on an adjacent site, near to the A5 bypass, from agricultural to employment land.

It is not known how many businesses will be able to move onto the park extension, if the planning permission is granted, however the land owners are seeking outline consent so they can press ahead with plans.

A planning statement from agents, Berrys, said: "The application is submitted in outline, with access, to obtain a degree of certainty over the development potential of the site and enable its marketing.

"Until occupiers of the development on the site are identified, and their accommodation requirements established, detailed plans for buildings on the site cannot be drawn up.

"This is based on the landowner’s experience in developing the adjacent Business Park, where full plans were approved but the landowner subsequently had to draw up, and seek approval for, amended plans that better reflected the need and demand for commercial property. "

The site is adjacent to the A5 bypass, and is currently greenfield and in agricultural use.

Green energy scheme

The planning statement also says the current business park is almost entirely heated through a green energy scheme, and due to the success, it may consider replicating that on the new development.

The agents also say Oswestry has suffered from a lack of deliverable employment land in the past, and for that recent they propose the development be approved without delay.

The planning statement adds: "There is considerable demand for employment accommodation on Artillery Business Park and in the Oswestry area which, as is recognised in the Council’s SAMDev Plan, has suffered from a lack of deliverable employment land.

"The proposed development will therefore reinforce Oswestry’s role as a focus for new employment development in the north-west of Shropshire, ensuring that people in the area have access to employment opportunities.

"The proposed development is therefore appropriate in context and results in minimal impact whilst making a significant contribution to the economic prospects of the county.

"It is therefore respectfully requested that the proposed development be approved without delay."