Supermarket given permission to remove canopy over 'anti-social behaviour' concerns
A supermarket will be allowed to remove a canopy which is said to have been the focus of anti-social behaviour.
Aldi on Oswald Road in Oswestry had applied to Shropshire Council to remove the large canopy, which runs alongside the building on the Beatrice Road side.
Council planning officers have accepted the application, saying the move would be "beneficial to public safety".
The canopy around the corner of the building, which is part of Oswestry Bus Station, is managed by the local authority and will remain in place.
In a report outlining the decision Shropshire Council planning officer Janet Davies said: "The proposed removal of the existing canopy is considered to be on the whole beneficial to public safety and amenity and deemed not to have any harmful implications for the character and appearance of the streetscene or the wider conservation area within which it lies.
"The application is therefore deemed to accord with development plan policy and is recommended for approval."
In her report Ms Davies also said: "It is observed that the canopy in question is an unsightly structure with polycarbonate roof supported on metal posts, which is in a neglected state and not deemed to visually contribute to the streetscene.."
She added: "Furthermore, although the site lies within the Oswestry Town Conservation Area removal of the canopy is not considered to adversely impact upon the setting or character of the designated area."
The report did outline concerns from Oswestry Town Council in making sure there is enough cover for people waiting for buses at the bus station.
The town council response to the application said: "It was resolved that there were no objections to the removal of the canopy however, given the need to encourage more use of public transport, it was requested that Shropshire Council ensure that adequate shelter from the elements is provided and that this needs to be in keeping with the surrounding area."
Ms Davies said the request had "been noted and forwarded on to the highways team for consideration".
When the application was submitted, Oswestry Town Councillor Jay Moore, said that he had not received any complaints from residents – and was concerned that if there were anti-social behaviour then removing the shelter could just move it elsewhere, rather than dealing with the problem.
"Simply removing the canopy is not tackling the core issue which is the anti-social behaviour," he said.
"If the canopy goes then the people using it as an area to hang out will just find somewhere else to go."
