£13.2 million innovation park top of list for town

Development of a new £13.2 million innovation park and sorting out a major road are the two top priorities for a Shropshire town.

Shropshire Council says Oswestry will flourish if it can secure its new innovation park and sort out the A483/A5 Mile End roundabout.

The council has today published a ‘place plan’ on the future of the town – with a list of priorities for the future.

The new 27 hectare innovation park, which will bring huge employment opportunities to the town tops the list.

But sorting out the Mile End gateway to the town and making the roads work better is also high on the list of priorities – as well as identifying sites for 800 homes.

The council has released documents on 18 communities across the county.

Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, place planning, and regulatory services, said: “This is really good news for communities across Shropshire. 

“After a lot of consultation and hard work we now have 18 place plans covering the whole of the county, which will help us to deliver the infrastructure that each community needs.

“We want our place plans to be useful, up to date, easy to understand, and the first port of call for infrastructure planning and delivery in each place plan area.

“We expect them to develop and change over the coming months as we get further feedback, but we know that the plans are already being used and referenced by our partners and by local communities.”

The Oswestry report says: “For the Oswestry and surrounding area, a review of information has shown that key infrastructure issues are: Development of Oswestry Innovation Park – 22.7ha of strategic employment land to drive long term sustainability in Oswestry and create the conditions for employment growth.

“Improvements to the strategic road network at Mile End to unlock planned and future housing and employment development opportunities; provision of new housing with up to 800 housing units plus mixed-use development proposed.

“Potential for a mixed use development (including key worker accommodation) at Park Hall; development of innovative healthcare opportunities with RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital; ICT/Broadband improvements to meet demands from new development and economic growth; and electricity supply upgrade to support new development, along with additional water and sewage capacity.”

On the innovation park plan, the plan says: “Delivery of 22.7 hectares of strategic employment land to drive long-term sustainability in Oswestry an create the conditions for employment growth.

“As development takes place, appropriate infrastructure must be provided.

“This will include highways, transport, drainage, water and electricity, etc.”