The Range taking over Oswestry's empty former Morrisons building bringing new jobs to town

The homeware giant has signed a 15-year lease with Shropshire Council to take over the vacant former Morrisons building on Station Road, meaning new jobs for the town.

The lease includes the unit and its surrounding car park. Customers of the store will be able to park free of charge for two hours.

Councillors have welcomed the news which they say contributes to the wider ambitions for Oswestry and its economic development and aligns with feedback from the Future Oswestry masterplan consultation, undertaken in February 2022.

The feedback identified the Cambrian Gateway area as an integral location within the town, and supported bringing the old Morrisons site back into use for leisure or retail.

Mark Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for growth and regeneration, and Councillor for Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn, said: “This is great news for Oswestry, for both its residents and local economy. Local people will know this premises has remained vacant for quite some time, and we’re really pleased to welcome a national retailer to the town.

“We want our market towns to have strong, healthy economies, and this is a core principle of The Shropshire Plan, and of the Future Oswestry Group.

“Not only do residents have a new place to shop, but The Range coming to Oswestry means we also have a new employer in town too. I look forward to the site coming back into use.”

Duncan Kerr, Shropshire Councillor for Oswestry South, said: “This is brilliant news and shows that businesses have confidence in Oswestry: let’s hope that this can be a spur to the rejuvenation of the Cambrian railway building and this whole area of the town.”

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for housing and assets, said: “Local residents told us they wanted to see this area of Oswestry become an integral location in town during the masterplan consultation.

“This announcement means we’ve listened to the feedback, and we hope Oswestry shoppers will head to The Range when it opens.”

The old Morrisons store has been empty since 2019 when the superstore moved to new, much larger premises on the Shrewsbury Road in the town.