Ambitious Oswestry Masterplan set to go out to public consultation
The transformative Oswestry Masterplan will be the subject of six weeks of public consultation, beginning in February. And, like Marmite, there will be elements that people will either love or they will hate.
Those behind the plans – billed as "an investable conceptual vision for Oswestry" – are at pains to point out that not only are the ideas and artist's sketches just that - ideas - they would also have to attract funding to turn them into reality.
A cultural quarter based around the ancient Castle mound, a cafe culture area which events could take place, centred on Festival Square and Church Street, and plans for two important gateways into Oswestry feature in artist sketches of what they could look like.
Shropshire Council, Oswestry Town Council and the Oswestry Business Improvement District say the project is designed to drive aspirations and think about the future of the town.
"This is still in the very early stages. It will draw on comprehensive research, previous studies as well as discussions, engagement and consultations with key partners, stakeholders and the public," a report on Shropshire Council's website stresses.
Already one of the suggestions, to close the bus station on Oswald Road in favour of a transport hub, as part of the plans for the Gateway area, has brought criticism.
Former mayor and leader of the Green Party on Oswestry Council, Duncan Kerr, said he was in favour in principle for three of the four areas.
"They are very broad brush concepts, very much in the ideas stage. And what must be understood is that there is not a huge pot of money to pay for all of this. Bids will have to be made for outside funding."
"The ideas for Church Street and Festival Square would definitely make that space a very vibrant area and there have already been work to improve the shop fronts there," he said.
"The Castle quarter is a very exciting idea. It is already an important and busy civic area of Oswestry and I feel that this area really would be a great place to concentrate on and businesses could thrive."
Councillor Kerr said the ideas for Mile End has to encourage people to visit Oswestry.
"We have to ensure that this is an attractive gateway and look at some form of park and ride into the town centre."
However he is not as keen on the artist's impressions for the Cambrian Gateway into the town, around the former railway station and current bus station.
"The sketch implies that housing will replace the old Morrison's store and, in fact, Shropshire Council wants planning permission to demolish the store.
"But I would like to see the old Morrisons re-purposed, maybe as a cinema, or some other cultural or public realm use.
"I am not ever so sure that we need any more housing or that we need to move the bus station, tired and unkempt as it looks - it just needs a lot of 'TLC', " he said.
