What’s new in Oswestry?: update from the Future Oswestry Group
The Future Oswestry partnership is committed to keeping local people and businesses informed about what’s going on in Oswestry, in terms of public spaces, future developments, roads and highways, and projects that will enhance everyday life.
The partnership is comprised of representatives from Shropshire Council, Oswestry Town Council, Oswestry BID (Business Improvement District) and members of the community, and was set up in 2020 to help deliver activities and projects that will benefit the town, its residents and its businesses.
Read more about the partnership and some of its projects.
Members of the public giving feedback in Festival Square, Oswestry.
Please see below recent updates from the partnership:-
Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)
The Shropshire Cycling and Walking Plan opened for public consultation on 2 May 2023. A roadshow event was hosted in Oswestry, as part of the Wednesday outdoor market, on Wednesday 10 May 2023.
People visited the consultation stand to share their feedback on the draft plan.
Visitors were encouraged to visit the website for further detail on the proposed network Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (arcgis.com) and to complete a survey.
As of 16 May 2023, 545 survey responses had been received, of which 35 pertain to Oswestry and Gobowen.
The six-week consultation runs until Friday 16 June, and more information is available here.
Llwyd Mansion
In April, Oswestry Town Council agreed to purchase Llwyd Mansion, a Grade I listed building in the heart of Oswestry.
This was originally a house dating back to the mid- to late 15th century, and re-modelled c. 1604 with later additions and alterations. The property has been empty for a period of time and is being marketed for sale.
High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) scheme
As the scheme enters its final six months, many of its projects are reaching completion.
Church Street has seen a burst of colour at number 39, where art-deco colours have brought new life to the street. New terrazzo tiles arrived from overseas and were once part of Woolworths stores in America. This shows the length business owners are going too to restore their historic properties.
Church Street, Oswestry – before any work
20 Church Street, Oswestry – after HSHAZ grant
Local building owners are passionate to bring to life the history of the streets of Oswestry.
Nearby on Cross Street, nine one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats on the upper levels are near completion on the upper levels.
Nightingales are preparing to move into their newly refurbished shop and have had a new shopfront fitted. They plan to reopen again soon, and will welcome a new neighbour next door, which is currently looking for an occupier.
Following the success of the HSHAZ scheme, the Future Oswestry partnership has put in a UKSPF funding bid to continue providing support for shop front improvements that enhance the look and feel of the high street. There is also a proposal to consider rolling out the good practice and success of Oswestry high street improvements into other market towns in Shropshire.
Summer of Art
Oswestry’s Cultural Consortium has announced an exciting new artist-in-residence program, ART-efact, that will be the centrepiece of Oswestry’s 2023 creative programme “Summer of Art”.
Four local artists have been selected to participate in ART-efact from this month through to September 2023. The artists will work with collections located in the Oswestry Town Museum or Oswestry Town Council archives.
They will work with local people to develop a body of work and ideas that brings alive Oswestry’s history, heritage and culture. ART-efact will culminate in an iconic group exhibition for the 2023 Heritage Open Days programme, themed “Creativity Unwrapped”.
They will also share their work with members of local cultural partners Qube and Designs in Mind, helping to improve access to Oswestry’s culture and improving community wellbeing.
Festival Square feasibility study – update
Oswestry BID has been awarded grant funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to complete a feasibility study on the best way forward for Festival Square.
This study, in conjunction with Environmental Associates, has completed its engagement phase, with an in-person stall outlining initial design options, and an online survey receiving a host of comments and suggestions.
The BID look forward to seeing the project report showing how the designs have been received by residents and businesses, the assessment of feedback, and to see which design elements seem favourable towards shaping a Festival Square that better serves the whole town going forward.
