Business park set for major development

A business park is set to be expanded in a bid to boost the local economy.

Shropshire Council has submitted plans to add four new industrial units to the Bishop’s Castle Business Park in a bid to attract new investment in the town.

The plans have been submitted to the authority’s planning department and will be decided upon in the coming weeks.

In the application, the council said: “The Business Park has been partially developed in a piecemeal fashion to provide owner-occupier industrial accommodation for local businesses including a building supplier and veterinary surgery.

“There are allotments to the north-west, a lane to the north-east which leads to a sewage treatment works to the south-east and to the south-west derelict building which was a children’s nursery.

“The proposed business units will occupy the undeveloped and unserviced land to the north of Bishop’ Castle Business Park which extends to approximately 1.61 hectares.

“The economy of Bishops Castle requires support to ensure that the businesses already in the town can have the opportunity to expand and grow and to ensure the future vibrancy of the community.

“If the development does not take place, the consequences could be that the businesses relocate to areas that can provide the expansion land they need, forcing employees to either commute, creating the potential of a dormitory town, or the employees will relocate with their jobs.

“Both scenarios will be detrimental to the future sustainability and viability of an active market town.

“As quality employment opportunities are lost in the town, it will attract less skilled workers, so wage levels will suffer, impacting on housing affordability and quality of life in this rural area.

“Therefore, the proposed business units will ensure that Bishops Castle’s economy can continue to grow and create skilled, well paid jobs for future generations.

“This is the only site within Bishop’s Castle designated for business development in the emerging Local Development Plan.

“The Business Park is on the south-eastern side of the town, with good access and infrastructure to enable future growth.”

It added: “There is strong support for the development of the business park in Bishop’s Castle.

“Shropshire Councillor Jonny Keeley is fully supportive of the project and sees the development of the business park as one of the key projects for Bishop’s Castle.

“Councillor Keeley and previous Shropshire Councillors for Bishop’s Castle have campaigned for investment and development of the site for a number of years.

“Bishop’s Castle Town Council fully supports the development and have worked with community groups such as Bishop’s Castle Community Land Trust, and Enterprise South West Shropshire to look at feasibility studies to develop the site using local funding sources.”