Horrified at plans to change town bus services

I WAS horrified to see that plans are afoot to change the bus services in Oswestry.

I, as a current bus user, would not like to see a circular bus route linking Gobowen to Whittington.

This would only extend the journey time unnecessarily.

There are currently two buses serving the Whittington Road in Gobowen, the No 2 from Wrexham to Oswestry via the Hospital and the No 53 from Ellesmere to Oswestry, which goes through Park Hall, and back.

Over the 28 years I have lived in Gobowen, the No 53 service has actually decreased in frequency to an hourly service except during the afternoon when it is even less frequent.

The No 2 bus runs every hour but only goes as far as the bus station in Oswestry. The no 53 on the other hand goes to the Post Office

I notice that there has been a suggestion about doing away with the bus station altogether.

There is no logical waiting place in town for buses to wait without causing traffic hold-ups.

The bus depot in Salop Road would not be a practical alternative and would only cater for Arriva buses.

The bus station is used by quite a lot of passengers.

In my case it gives me the choice of two different buses so reducing my waiting time.

Also with the current restrictions, when only 17 or 21 people are allowed on the bus at any one time, buses have not always been able to pick up at the bus stop I usually use.

Extending the route would only result in more disappointed passengers.

Did any of the new proposals originate from people who actually use the buses regularly.

Will passengers be allowed a say in what is in the long term going to affect them?

Margaret Clewett,


‘Unloved’ Shirehall does have a future

SOS - ‘Save Our Shirehall’ supporters acknowledge that modern architecture is unloved by some though attractive for others. There’s good, bad or indifferent of most things.

Buildings cost lots, so economy of build is a constant consideration for clients and architects, particularly when that build, like our Shirehall, uses public money.

After the war and into the 1960’s it was no longer affordable to design with detailed glazing, gilding, stone masonry and wood carvings.

So concrete and glass became the affordable modern way.

The art, in architecture of the modern emerging post-war period is, how to build to a budget using more limited choice of materials, which meets the design needs (Shirehall 800 workspaces) in a design that is pleasing and lifts the spirit for those who use it, visit and, view it.

The Shirehall was necessary because it combined under one roof all of the then Shropshire County Council’s offices previously spread across 15 different sites in Shrewsbury town.

So, communication between departments was much improved with greater efficiency in services to the people of Shropshire.

In the early 1960s central government was asking local authorities to do more so the architects new they had to build flexibility into the office work spaces.

Each office floor is 40 feet wide and some as long as 250 feet.

For flexibility, each floor can be easily and quickly changed, and often are, from full open plan to a variety of office sizes by movable partitioning.

Half height glazing ensures good internal lighting previously lacking for office staff in earlier periods of design. Many working people like that.

The architects respected that Shropshire’s new Shirehall belonged to the people of Shropshire as their civic and municipal centre.

The council chamber design and position respects the electorate by reaching out in front of the office block towards the people who elect their councillor representatives.

The Covid plague is forcing new ways of working and the designed flexibility of our Shirehall can easily provide for future safe physical office working for the office team-work part of the still developing balance between solitary home working and office working.

To limit future desk based working only to the home may create diverse problems for the future and staff and public access considerations must be fully, openly and calmly considered.

John Crowe,

‘Save our Shirehall’

In the picture...

In THE Bygones of September 7, I refer to the photograph ‘A book presentation’ and can tell you who the people are who are in the picture.

The police officer on the left is Superintendent Mike Lane who was head of policing for Oswestry and North Shropshire.

His colleague on the right was the late Inspector Derrick Bourne who was then stationed at Oswestry.

I believe the gentleman in the centre was the late councillor Owen Jones.

John Halstead,


Choose to live a life of love or live selfishly

Just when the awful 10 year war in Syria is coming to an end, war has broken out between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two countries that most have never heard of and people are dying horribly and nothing will be gained in the end.

Why do people have be always be fighting, not just nationally but in homes and families.

The fact is we have a choice; we either choose to live a life of love and care for others or selfishly look after number one.

Ron Jones,

St Martins

High winds thinking deserves our praise

May I commend Oswestry Town Council for having the foresight to let people know when it is is not safe to enter a park after high winds.

We might sometimes think we’re being over-protected but credit where credit is due to the council.

Steve Jacobs,