Today, at 2pm, began one of the most important meetings in Oswestry's upcoming future. It was a planning meeting to decide whether an out-of-town shopping development should go ahead, although specifically, the members were to decide on whether the S106 Agreement (which was thrown out at the previous Strategic Planning Meeting), had been sufficiently updated to meet the concerns of that meeting.

Of the members who were there (10?), three or four were coming to this planning question for the first time!  Staggering to think, that an issue such as this, with all it's complexities and consequences, should be put onto the shoulders of "newbies".

Shropshire council officers said that if the shuttle bus isn't deemed to be successful, then the agreement is that the developers would pay them money to run it themselves - however, they said that they might decide to just pour that money into existing bus services - so no shuttle bus.

It was claimed initially that the Town Council would guarantee to spend all the receipts on "town centre" improvements.  This has now become "any surplus" and "town centre" has become "town".  No specifics, no guarantee, no time periods.

What are we left with?  

A huge out-of-town development at a time when they are seen by many to be a thing of the past.  A development which reports predict will take £28 million from the town centre economy and then Shropshire Council claim this will have no significant negative effect on the Town Centre.  Not quite sure how that circle is squared!?

This meeting today, to anyone who appreciates common sense, had all the hallmarks of Alice in Wonderland.  A huge town centre investment shrunk before our eyes and shuttle buses disappeared in a puff of hot air.

Oswestry has been handed a very poor deal.

I'm hoping that Oswestry Town Council will speak with all sides of Oswestry's diverse community as they consider how to put their receipts to good purpose.  

Councillor Walpole, made a very good point, which is that IF this money to to counter the negative effects of such a development, then it would make sense for such projects to be PRIOR or CO-INCIDENT with the development.

Clearly, we need to start the planning now and get the implementation in place before the development casts it long shadow.

At the end of the meeting, there were many cries of "shame, shame".  You can make up your own mind.