Oswestry’s Mile End junction officially open

March 11, 2022

A major milestone has been reached with the official opening of the new Mile End junction in Oswestry – easing congestion, improving the gateway to the town and opening up land for new housing as well as the proposed Oswestry Innovation Park

The work – designed and supervised by WSP, delivered by Balfour Beatty – and project managed by Shropshire Council is nearing completion and is open for motorists.

Final works to commission the permanent street lighting and complete landscaping will continue over the coming weeks with planting also being completed later in the Spring.

To facilitate this, a section of the old A5 remains closed for the short term and there will be periodic use of traffic management measures to ensure safety to the public and workforce.

The project has been delivered on time and to budget and has been made possible by support from our partners at the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Homes England.

Councillor Ed Potter, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Planning and Regeneration, said:

“I am absolutely delighted to see the new junction going live, it will bring huge benefits to Oswestry and the wider economy of Shropshire and surrounding areas.

“It will help secure growth and development to Oswestry and the county. The next phase will be a spine road which will enable the Innovation Park to be built and we are now looking forward to working on that and bringing ambitious partners on board.”

The new Innovation Park area will also be made accessible for pedestrians and cyclists by the construction of a new bridge over the A5 which is due to commence later in the year.

Sonia Roberts, Marches LEP deputy chair, said:

“It is wonderful to be able to celebrate this landmark milestone for what is a hugely-important project. These works will not only help keep business and people moving but open up Oswestry Innovation Park creating new jobs, homes and an economic dividend for the town and region.

“The Marches LEP has invested £5.7million of Growth Deal 3 funding into the Innovation Park as part of our drive to deliver economic success to all parts of the region, and is delighted to see the progress being made here.”

A special ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the site this week, with Councillor Potter and local member, Councillor Joyce Barrow, on hand to declare the road open, along with senior officers from the council, WSP, LEP, Homes England and Balfour Beatty.

For more information on the scheme or to take a look at how it progressed, please click here.

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The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership has now ceased trading and transferred all its functions to Shropshire Council working with Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council, in line with the UK Government's plans for devolution.

The Marches LEP was established in 2011 and hands over an impressive legacy from its 13-year life. In that time the LEP invested over £196m in projects across the Marches, securing in excess of £100m of match funding and supported more than 66,000 business interactions.

The schemes supported have made tangible differences to local communities, increasing skills, creating jobs and improving the physical appearance of many towns.

We would like to thank all the LEP Board Members who have given their time freely over the life of the LEP, as well as all the staff who worked for the LEP over the years. We also want to thank our delivery partners, local education providers and local, regional and national stakeholders who helped us achieve so much.

The Marches Growth Hub will continue to support businesses and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Each of the three Local Authorities will also continue to provide direct business support locally. Details of this support will be available through the Marches Growth Hub website and from the Local Authorities directly. Website: www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk | email: enquiries@marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

The Marches Careers Hub will continue to be delivered and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Website: www.marchescareershub.co.uk | email: info@marchescareershub.co.uk

For any queries about Getting Building Fund (GBF), Local Growth Fund (LGF) and Marches Investment Fund (MIF) projects supported by the Marches LEP please contact: gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk

For any finance queries please contact: michelle.hodgkiss@shropshire.gov.uk

The solvent liquidation of the Marches LEP is being managed by the Evelyn Partners Limited. For any matter related to this please contact: Camilla.Mulholland@evelyn.com

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