Oswestry21

In the Tizer this week………. “Town traders feel pinch of Parkright powers”.

If Parkright alone are causing Yossi Glickman of the Chamber of Commerce concern around town centre decline, the incremental effects of petrol prices, an economic slow down or recession and an increase in on line shopping will make life very much harder, and the opening of a retail park & new supermarket (with 2 hour free or re-fundable parking) should just about guarantee ghost town status for Oswestry town centre.

Also in the Tizer -”Council coffers ‘in the black!’” Oswestry Town Council accounts show a figure approaching £1M. (£951,658). What plans to encourage shoppers and visitors into this “historic border market town”, or the market itself? Any ideas for alleviating the town centre cost of a traffic system that sweeps shoppers into Sainsbury’s and a proposed supermarket? Any studies being undertaken to look into the problems of running a rural town in a post peak oil world? And what of the Town Council’s top earner, the Central Car Park once an out of town retail park is up and running?

Time for some real investment in the future. Time for some vision and joined up thinking. Vain hope?