Town council to press ahead with improvements to alleyway 'not reflecting the standards of the Oswestry'

The scheme would see better lighting installed in an alleyway connecting Cross Street with English Walls in Oswestry, with the area also painted and cleaned as part of an effort to promote a “safe and welcoming” town centre.

A motion proposed by Councillor Les Maguire stated that the passageway currently does not reflect the standards which the Town Council wishes to maintain in Oswestry town centre.

The council will now write to the owners of two buildings which adjoin the passageway between SportsDirect and Poundland with a view to collaborating on the improvements.

However, at a meeting of Oswestry Town Council on October 9, town clerk Arren Roberts warned that improvements to the area had been torpedoed in the past with one of the parties apparently unwilling to engage with a refurbishment scheme.

“The BID have tried and Shropshire Council have tried so I’m not sure what additionality we can bring to it but we can try. If there are improvements needed then we’ll have to identify them, cost them out and bring them back,” he said.

The council meeting was told that guttering on one of the buildings regularly overflowed, which could further complicate renovation efforts, while Councillor Jay Moore said the council already had a list of priorities “as long as your arm” and urged councillors to concentrate on existing schemes instead.

“We have to think back to our priorities list, the things that we’re aiming to do – that list is very long still, there’s still an awful lot we need to do and there’s only seven months left [before local elections] as people keep reminding us all,” he said.

“Do we really think sending the clerk off on what I think he is politely trying to say is a ‘wild goose chase’ is the best use of his time?”

The motion was supported, with the town council now set to draw up a list of costs for the scheme while seeking consent for the works.