J Ross Developments' plans for a town centre foodstore, retail and leisure development on Oswestry's Central Car Park site have been finalised and submitted to Shropshire Council. The revised plans satisfy Shropshire Council’s highways, conservation and planning requirements and reflect local feedback given throughout the consultation process.

A principal change called for at a public exhibition was the ability for the 170-seat digital cinema to be used for other functions. By amending the plans, J Ross Developments has been able to deliver 100 per cent flexibility allowing the space to be used for live music events, stage performances, product launches and the streaming of live shows. The other principal changes made to the scheme include:

• Enhanced designs for the frontages onto English Walls and Smithfield Road
• Enhanced pedestrian links and sight-lines between the development and the rest of the town centre
• The introduction of a ground floor bar connected to the cinema, overlooking Festival Square
• The provision of a ‘green room’ adjacent to the new digital cinema, to allow for live music and stage performance events
• A reduction in the height of the scheme
• Improved hard and soft landscaping.

Spencer Cooper of J Ross Developments said, "As it is a digital cinema, we have tremendous flexibility and now with the addition of the Green Room we can give people the flexible performance space they have been asking for".

The local developer’s proposals were shown to the public at a well attended two-day consultation event in April 2009. An overwhelming majority of the 460 local people attending the exhibition were in favour of the proposals.

Spencer Cooper added:"J Ross Developments is a local firm and committed to the long-term vitality of Oswestry and has approached this whole process in an open and professional manner. We have spent the last three months working with Shropshire's officers, listening to people’s ideas and comments and have amended our scheme where we can.

"We have received over-whelming support from the town's folk who are keen to see Oswestry reinvigorated by the scheme and protected from out-of-town developments as experienced in Wrexham."

"We believe that this scheme will be a catalyst for further regeneration in the town centre and look forward to continuing our dialogue with local people."