Oswestry21

Does Oswestry really need a hypermarket three times the size of Sainsburys, (whether at the Smithfield or Burbidges), which will retail food, electrical goods, chemists goods and clothes? What effect will this have on the town centre?

How does such large scale retail promote authentic choice when the effect it has is to force out independent retailers and the variety that they provide?

When an out of town Safeways opened in Leominster the number of empty shops rose from 16 to 36 in 5 years and the town unfortunately found itself qualifying for £2.2 million of Single Regeneration Budget funds as a result of town centre decline.

www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/2000/fulltext/446a13.1.pdf

The need for increased retail is recognised and there are alternatives. Smaller, varied outlets within and nearer the town centre of scale in keeping with the size of the town and it’s population. (e.g. M and S, Somerfield opening in the old Choices building).

At a time of steeply rising oil prices and declining resources after peak oil, is such car dependent consumerism wise planning for the next 20 years?

It’s time for Oswestry to become pro-active; traders need to coalesce and face development and economic challenges together. It’s time the town demanded a Town Council that was voted in on merit and not longevity of tenure, that didn’t whiff of nepotism and self interest, and that had a genuine and visionary interest in dealing with a post peak oil town at a time of huge environmental and economic change.

Is it not time for Oswestry to join the other 50+ towns and cities in the British Isles which are realistically facing the challenges of peak oil and climate change and become a Transition Town?

http://www.transitiontowns.org/

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” - Charles Darwin