Meeting taking place to tackle Oswestry street 'eyesore'

Shropshire Council are set to meet with organisations in Oswestry on Thursday, June 29 to tackle the delayed Church Street works.

Plans to improve Church Street in Oswestry town centre by expanding pedestrian space with planters, street furniture and a formal one-way system have faced delays.

The meeting follows intervention by north Shropshire MP, Helen Morgan, who branded the temporary works an 'eyesore' plaguing the town since the pandemic.

The MP said community work was at risk of being wasted after the Oswestry BID team secured £70,000 from the Heritage Action Zone to invest in the area.

She claimed the new furniture and planters it bought are "stranded in storage due to the lack of action by Shropshire Council."

The council said on Wednesday that officers were going to meet with town representatives to discuss the plans.

Councillor Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member for growth, regeneration and housing said: "We understand there is a lot of frustration about the delays to the Church Street works and have been trying to find a suitable solution for quite some time.

"As we've shared previously, the current temporary works were installed as part of our pandemic response, and therefore was not budgeted for at the time, and still has no budget for today.

"We're mindful planters for Church Street have been in storage awaiting installation to replace the current road hogs, and it is was our intention to install them ready for Oswestry in Bloom.

"Resurfacing and lining works is also scheduled to take place on Church Street this September, which has been another factor to consider."

The council said a provisional schedule of works has been drawn up, which involves planters being installed following a safety audit, and resurfacing works to take place from 4 to 29 September, with the planters to be moved and reinstalled after resurfacing into their final, permanent position.

Councillor Carroll added: "Shropshire Council Officers are meeting with representatives from Oswestry BID and Oswestry Town Council on 29 June, to discuss the provisional schedule, and/or any other possible alternative proposals.

"The group will then decide which is the appropriate course of action – either the provisional schedule or alternative(s) – and deliver the solution in the spirit of, and as the Future Oswestry Partnership."