Survey to help reduce number of Oswestry’s empty shops
A survey is to be carried out in Oswestry town centre this summer, to help identify and reduce the number of empty shops and other business premises in the town, and find alternative uses for them.
The fieldwork and survey will be carried out by the Future Oswestry Group – the partnership between Shropshire Council, Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry BID that’s working to help deliver activities and projects that will benefit the town, its residents and its businesses.
Oswestry BID will use the data collected to identify past and present trends for Oswestry town centre, which will be used to develop a plan to help town centre businesses reverse the national trend of town centre decline.
And Shropshire Council will use the data to benchmark Oswestry against other Shropshire towns.
This collective work will inform further discussions around potential options for the re-use of empty shops and premises in Oswestry.
Councillor Steve Charmley, deputy leader of Shropshire Council and Cabinet member for assets, economic growth and regeneration, said:
“Unfortunately Oswestry’s bid for funding from round one of the Government’s Future High Street Fund was unsuccessful as the process was very competitive. However, by actively working together as part of the Future Oswestry Group we’ll be able to progress and deliver a number of activities and projects which will benefit and boost the town. This survey is an important first step.”
Adele Nightingale, Oswestry BID manager said:
“Town centre businesses across the country are struggling to survive and Oswestry is not immune to this trend. The larger high street retailers are increasingly retreating from town centres and we need to develop a plan for Oswestry to fill the gaps they have left and restore a vibrant town centre in a sustainable form.”
Councillor John Price, Mayor of Oswestry, said:
“Whilst we were disappointed not to receive the Future High Street funding the application process itself has brought a momentum to tackling longstanding issues, such as empty premises in the town centre”
About the Future Oswestry Group
Made up of representatives from Shropshire Council, Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID) the Future Oswestry Group held its inception meeting on 2 May 2019.
The group will help to deliver each organisation’s activities and projects through working more closely together.
Key members of the group include: Councillor Steve Charmley and Councillor Robert Macey representing Shropshire Council; Councillor Chris Schofield and Councillor Sandy Best representing Oswestry Town Council; and Adele Nightingale and Ian Follington representing the Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID). Support is provided by officers from Oswestry Town Council and Shropshire Council.
Issued on behalf of the Future Oswestry Group
