Oswestry21

It came to our notice back in last summer that there were rumours of a spoiler on the Vernon/Burbidge scheme. Interested parties had, allegedly, negotiated an option to buy a strip of land consisting of a small yard and a row of sheds on the B4580 Whittington Road, adjoining the Burbidge site, on the right hand side of the road as you pass under the railway bridge heading out towards the by pass and Whittington. If so, this has effectively prevented full land assembly by Burbidge developers Vernons and affects their original desired resolution of traffic issues at the entrance to the proposed supermarket on the Burbidge site.

It seems that attempts are now being made to arrange for a strip of land to be assembled on the opposite side of the road, consisting of part of the gardens of the terrace of houses (Bridge Terrace) on the left hand side of Whittington Road opposite the Burbidge site. From the relevant drawing from the Vernons planning application this would appear to affect a dozen houses and their owners and/or inhabitants. This land would seem to be required to resolve the traffic issues in the manner described in the application and is outside the outlined development area of the scheme.

This would appear to be an Achilles heel in the Vernon/Burbidge scheme. Any relevant information related to this issue would be gratefully and confidentially received at os21group@yahoo.com . We shall be observing this with interest and report on it as information filters to the massed ranks of computers and highly trained staff on the 18th floor of the OS21 offices.

From The Times July 2006 -“FREE parking at out-of-town shopping centres must be abolished to save traditional high streets from terminal decline and protect the environment, a government commission will recommend today.

The commission’s report, Sustainable Transport Choices and the Retail Sector, which will be delivered to the Department for Transport today, calls for restrictions on the expansion of out-of-town retailing centres.”

“Given the growing problem of congestion and concerns about the environment, this behaviour is unsustainable,” the report says.“ Nor does the out-of-town retail model help engender social inclusion and accessibility for the wider community.

”The report claims that offers of free parking are “distorting the market” because high street stores are unable to compete.