Planning hurdles cleared for new business park in Oswestry

The site was given planning approval in 2020 and site owner Morrison's has within the last few days had its conditions imposed by the council for drainage and clearance of the site in Shrewsbury Road approved.

Planners have approved a ground investigation report which "details that no potential risks have been identified that require further assessment or remediation".

Another condition on drainage and access plans has also been approved.

The site covers an area of about 3.01 hectares, is relatively flat and in planning terms represents a ‘brown field site’ being formally part of a livestock auction site known as Oswestry Smithfield.

It is planned that there will be a builders' merchant, a car showroom, a drive-through coffee shop, a drive-through fast food restaurant and other business units on the site.

It is hoped up to 220 jobs could be created once all 11 proposed units are built and occupied.

The site is next to the new Morrison’s superstore and was previously earmarked as part of a £45 million shopping and leisure complex incorporating a cinema, but when Cineworld pulled out of the deal the plans were scrapped and only the supermarket was built.

Morrison’s, which owns the whole site, later applied for a business park and care home to be built.

The care home element was re-thought, and the approved plans now include a drive-through coffee shop, drive-through restaurant and a potential gym or office building.

The largest building will be either a car showroom or builders’ merchant, depending on interest, and there will also be a row of seven smaller trade counter units.

Planning officers concluded the development would not take footfall away from businesses in the town centre and approved the plans.

A report by planning officer Philip Mullineux at the time the plan was approved in March 2020, said: “Following retail assessments of Oswestry town centre, the centre appears to be vital and viable with a good range of convenience and comparison offer, retail and leisure services as well as business and financial services.

“The centre as a whole is well maintained and has a high footfall.

“The anticipated trade impact of 0.76 per cent on the town centre’s turnover would not be significantly adverse.

“Additionally, a sequential test has been undertaken which has found that there are no potential sites that are suitable and/or available for the proposed development.

“The application site is therefore the most appropriate location in which to meet the needs that the application scheme aims to fulfil.

“A number of technical reports and surveys have been undertaken which have demonstrated that the proposal would not raise any adverse impacts, or subject to any constraints which hinders development from coming forward.

“The proposal would result in development coming forward on a long-standing brownfield site.

“The development could bring 125-220 new jobs and economic spending into Oswestry, which is in accordance with the local development plan’s strategy for Oswestry.”