Oswestry Town Council Annual Report 2024/25

annual report 2024-2025

Building a better community together

Welcome

As we welcome a new civic year, it is time to meet the new Mayor of Oswestry cllr Rosie Radford, to look back at some successes over the last year and to celebrate the amazing town we are lucky enough to call home.

We have plenty of stories that showcase what makes Oswestry so great as well as updates on key council projects and services including the restoration of Llwyd Mansion, pictured.

On pages 6 and 7, you will find a list of the services provided by us and

by Shropshire Council plus details of your local councillors with photos and contact information. Do get in touch with your local councillor if you have a community concern.

july 2025

Inside: COMMUNITY & COUNCIL NEWS

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TOWN CENTRE UPDATES & EVENTS

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ENVIRONMENT MATTERS

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LLWYD MANSION RESTORATION 5 YOUR COUNCIL

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MEET YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLOR 7 LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025/26

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Meet your new mayor

annual report 2024/25

Cllr Rosie Radford was officially appointed as Mayor of Oswestry at a special ceremony on 19 May and will serve as First Citizen for 2025-26.

Rosie brings her love for Oswestry and a long-standing dedication to public service to this prestigious role. She has lived here for 34 years and has become deeply involved in civic life.

Elected to represent Cambrian Ward as councillor in 2018, Rosie has also served as Chair of the Markets and Town Centre Committee, bringing her experience of a market trader and business owner to her work and leading initiatives to revitalise the town centre and support local businesses.

Mayor of Oswestry, cllr Rosie Radford In addition to her civic roles, Rosie has worked in the NHS for 18 years and volunteers with local food-sharing causes that help reduce food waste while nourishing our community.

During her time in office, Rosie hopes to shine a spotlight on the many groups and volunteers who improve life for others. She is also keen on improving transport options for more sustainable and accessible travel between local Describing his time as mayor as “the towns. honour of my life”, Mike Isherwood She said: “My hope is that I can continue to contribute to the wonderful, wishes Rosie all the best as she takes vibrant community I will be representing. I want to shout about Oswestry and over. help make it an even better place for my daughters and the next generation of He said: “I have had a thoroughly families and communities here.” enjoyable year visiting organisations, charities, groups and individuals who help make our town so special. My If you would like to extend an invitation for an event you have coming up, thanks to them for all they do. Good please email: sandratrevor@oswestry-tc.gov.uk luck Rosie.”

Well wishes from outgoing mayor

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COMMUNITY & COUNCIL NEWS

Future of community centre secured

annual report 2024/25

After two years of lengthy discussion, in September, we took over The Centre on Oak Street from Shropshire Council to secure its future as a community hub and provide a secure base for OsNosh, SYA, St John Ambulance and others.

It will be run by TNSFC Foundation.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visits OsNosh Men Walking and Talking win award

Celebrating local heroes Oswestry’s Civic Awards recognise and celebrate individuals, groups and businesses making a difference in our communities.

This year’s winners were announced at a special event in March marking the end of Mike Isherwood’s time as Mayor of Oswestry: Oswestry Climate Hub was the winner of the Environmental Champions award for helping people live more sustainably.

Men Walking and Talking won the Outstanding Community Project award for their mental health walks that bring men together in safe spaces.

The Outstanding Oswestry Business award was won by The Bailey Head adding to its growing list of accolades which includes Pub of the Year.

SYA (Shropshire Youth Association) won the Outstanding Contribution to Supporting Oswestry’s Young People award for their school holiday clubs which encourage creativity, teamwork and personal development.

Congratulations to you all.

Investing in young people We want children and young people to get the most out of growing up in Oswestry.

Their voices and views are at the heart of all we do to improve youth services.

As well as championing young people through Oswestry Youth Forum and Oswestry Youth Music Festival, we have also Bushcraft activities funded the youth club at The Centre, SYA Time to Talk sessions at The Marches School, and a varied programme of school holiday activities including bushcraft skills and tai chi.

Joining Oswestry Youth Forum is fantastic for meeting new friends and gaining new skills. Anyone aged 11-17 can join. For details, email: corriedavies@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

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National accreditation for Oswestry Archives Our archive service has been awarded national accredited status from The National Archives for a second time for the conservation and care of the town’s unique archives and its accessibility.

Based at the Guildhall in the heart of Oswestry, the archives house a fascinating collection of records that document the development of our town. The oldest document dated 1324, is a grant by the Earl of Arundel of two shops to the Burgesses of Oswestry. If you would like to find out more email: enquiries@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

One of the best In February, we were thrilled to hear that we were runner-up for the title of ‘Council of the Year’ at the NALC Star Council Awards. Although we didn’t win, getting to the shortlist was a fantastic achievement as there are more than 10,000 parish and town councils in the country. The judges were particularly impressed by the work we do to support the town’s young people.

TOWN CENTRE UPDATES & EVENTS Market revamp A new clock, upgraded flooring, improved access, new lighting and a colourful mural have been completed as part of a revamp of the indoor market with funding from UK Government.

The improvements have been welcomed by market lovers, as have the special markets and seasonal events which add to the magic.

More events and activities to attract new customers and keep money in the local economy are planned.

Powis Indoor Market – Wednesday, Friday & Saturday Street Market – Wednesday & Saturday Artisan Market – last Friday of every month Late Night Indoor Market with live music – last Friday of every month

Market mural unveiled

The Cross returns home The Cross memorial was restored to its original place on the corner of Cross Street in December. The restoration was needed after a serious collision in May 2023 which caused extensive damage to the memorial and injured three people, one seriously.

Supporting communities Four more businesses have benefited from grants of £5,000 to support their growth and bring empty town centre properties back into use – Shroom, Smithfield Coffee House, The Beech Tree and Beauty Base. Amber and Jolyon Iles at The Beech Tree described the grant as “a real boost”.

Community groups also received grants including Oswestry SEN Parents and Children’s Group, County Counselling, The Cuddle Collective, The Drama Forge, Music MOB, Oswestry Society of Church Bell Ringers, Shrewsbury & Oswestry Crucial Crew, Oswestry Team Tennis and Lights Out Trefonen.

For information about current funding opportunities, visit www.oswestry-tc.go.uk and enter ‘grants’ in the search bar.

The Cross returns

What’s on

annual report 2024/25

Looking for something fun and free to do in Oswestry?

Arts festivals, Food & Drink Festival, artisan markets, bands in the park, community events, family activities, outdoor sports fun, balloon carnival – there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Scan the qr code to find out what’s on in 2025

Family events in Cae Glas Park Amber and Jolyon

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ENVIRONMENT MATTERS Climate action

annual report 2024/25

Seven years ago, Oswestry Town Council declared a climate emergency and committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and we’re currently on track to achieve this.

As well as eco improvements to the Guildhall and other council-owned facilities, we have introduced new planting schemes in our parks to increase biodiversity and planted 17,000 trees – one for every resident in the borough!

Projects for this year include reducing mowing where it is practical to do so and upgrading our streetlights to LEDs which use less energy.

Tree planting

Cae Glas Park – a jewel in our crown An area of outstanding beauty in the heart of town, Cae Glas Park is popular with locals and visitors alike.

Seven acres of beautifully maintained parkland with established trees and shrubbery, stunning floral displays, children’s play area, bowling green, crazy golf, tennis, bandstand and regular community events are just some of its attractions.

A new free-to-play all weather table tennis table is the latest addition to arrive in the park.

Whilst the cost of looking after the park for our community is considerable, we hope Play table tennis with the family you agree it’s worth it.

Beautiful views around Cae Glas Park

Blooming success Oswestry in Bloom volunteers work alongside our small parks team to keep Oswestry blooming lovely.

Having won our 19th Gold at last year’s Heart of England in Bloom competition and scooping a special award for Best Large town, Oswestry has been selected to represent the region in this year’s Britain in Bloom finals.

Teamwork is the secret of success, and our thanks go to the Oswestry in Bloom committee, volunteers and our team.

Bloom volunteers

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LLWYD MANSION restoration Lottery grant for restoration of Llwyd Mansion Our bid for funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the restoration of Oswestry’s historic Llwyd Mansion has secured development funding of £479,972.

This funding will be used to cover the first phase of the project including urgent structural repairs, additional surveys and investigations, and a series of consultation events and activities for the community to be part of the restoration journey.

The development phase is expected to be completed by early 2027. A funding bid of £2,870,665 for the next phase will then be submitted to the Heritage Fund so that restoration work can begin. All being well, we expect most of the structural restoration will be completed by the end of 2028, with the building fully open towards the end of 2029.

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Llwyd Mansion was built in 1464/5 as a substantial merchant’s house around a possible earlier medieval hall house.

The plaster roundel bearing the coat of arms of the Llwyd family with the date 1604, is believed to have been added during a later restoration in the 1800s.

From the late 1880s until 2022, the building was in commercial use.

Sadly, widespread structural alterations and repairs compounded by lack of maintenance over many years left the building in a dilapidated state and on the ‘Heritage at Risk’ list.

In November 2023, Oswestry Town Council bought the building bringing it into public ownership for the first time in its history.

Subsequent surveys revealed the extent and complexity of the restoration needed.

A business plan to secure the future of the building and a bid for a Heritage Fund grant were prepared in 2024. Proposals look at improving access and services whilst respecting the heritage of the building and include community and commercial spaces on the lower floors and holiday let accommodation on upper floors.

annual report 2024/25

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Artist’s impression

Details on upcoming events and opportunities for you to get involved in will be shared on our website and social media. If you would like to find out more email: enquiries@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

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your council Your local council Annual report 2024/25

Oswestry Town Council is headed by a Mayor and 17 councillors with services delivered by a Town Clerk.

The Council is one of 10,000 local councils in England and Wales and one of 230 in Shropshire. It is one of the largest authorities of its type in the country looking after many local services and providing a packed programme of events that brings our community together.

Looking at the projects and initiatives featured in this report, we believe 2024/2025 has been a successful one for the Council and the town.

The Council remains in good financial health and is well positioned to keep up the good work.

As we can only do what legislation permits us to do, we must continue to work in partnership with our community and others to deliver our objectives.

Mayor Making 2025

Wards and councillors Oswestry is divided into 7 wards and has 18 Councillors elected to represent residents in their wards. Councillors generally serve a term of four years.

Your councillors are listed by ward opposite. If you have a community concern or question, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your Ward Councillor.

Local council responsibilities Below is a summary of the services provided by Oswestry Town Council and Shropshire Council. If you have questions for us, please email enquiries@oswestry-tc.gov.uk or pop into the Guildhall. For Shropshire Council enquiries visit www.shropshire.gov.uk.

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Meet your local Councillor Carreg Llwyd Ward

Cabin Lane Ward

Rebekah Anderton

Darrell Brindley

rebekahanderton@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Mark Owen

markowen@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

darrellbrindley@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

James Owen

jamesowen@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Gatacre Ward Mark Roberts

markroberts@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

David Walker

davidwalker@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Care Johnson

carejohnson@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Jay Moore

jaymoore@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Cambrian Ward Richard Elmitt

richardelmitt@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Ruth Simmonds

ruthsimmonds@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Maserfield Ward Mayor Rosie Radford

rosieradford@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Duncan Kerr

duncankerr@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

wendyowen@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

annual report 2024/25

Castle Ward

Wendy Owen

Deputy Mayor Jonathan Upton

jonathanupton@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Victoria Ward Duncan Borrowman

duncanborrowman@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Grace Goodlad

gracegoodlad@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Lucy McKinney

lucymckinney@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

Fiona Wilson

fionawilson@oswestry-tc.gov.uk

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annual report 2024/25

LOOKING FORWARD to 2025/26

Your Council The new councillors elected by you at the May 2025 elections are currently setting the priorities for their four-year term in office.

We anticipate it will be another busy year as we continue to look at ways we can improve the services we provide for you.

As always, we will keep you informed of how we’re doing along with updates on local news and events.

Council Meetings Oswestry Town Council meetings are open to the public to attend in person or online via Microsoft Teams. There is an opportunity to address the Council at the start of meetings. Meeting agendas, background information and Teams passcode are published on our website www.oswestry-tc.gov.uk.

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October November December January February March April

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Keeping you informed We are continuing to improve how we keep you updated on news and ways you can get involved.

As well as our website, bimonthly community newsletter and social media, we facilitate regular community meetings on different local issues such as community safety and Llwyd Mansion, and host events that bring our community together.

Copies of our newsletter can be picked up from the Guildhall or emailed. If you would like to receive them direct to your inbox, email enquiries@oswestry-tc.gov.uk.

Follow us on socials: @OswestryTownCouncil @oswestry_town_council @OswestryTC

Get in touch You can contact us via our website, email, phone or in person. enquiries@oswestry-tc.gov.uk 01691 680222 oswestry-tc.gov.uk The Guildhall, Oswestry, SY11 1PZ Opening times Mon-Thurs 9am5pm, Fri 9am-4pm Photos ©Graham Mitchell