Owen Secures Electricity Deal for Whitchurch
07 April 2010
Owen Paterson organised a meeting on Thursday at Grocontinental with Scottish Power, Advantage West Midlands and Shropshire Council, to secure a commitment regarding power supply to the Waymills Industrial Estate in Whitchurch.
The power supply to the business park is not currently sufficient to support the expansion of businesses currently occupying the site and this was the latest in a series of meetings organised by Owen with Cllr Gerald Dakin, David Grocott of Grocontinental, Shropshire Council, Scottish Power and Advantage West Midlands.
The talks on Thursday were with Cllr Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, Cllr Gerald Dakin, County Councillor for Whitchurch, Mark Pearce of Advantage West Midlands and several representatives from Scottish Power. It was agreed during the negotiations that the agencies would go for a substantial upgrade in capacity for Whitchurch which will cover the requirements for Grocontinental and for other firms on the Waymills site; it will also help attract new businesses to the area. This will require a substantial financial input and Owen was delighted that Shropshire Council and Advantage West Midlands have agreed to make this investment.
Owen said “After many months of discussions, I am delighted that we have at last found a solution. It was a nonsense that one of best businesses in my constituency was being prevented from expanding and new firms put off moving in to Whitchurch. I am very pleased that Shropshire Council, Advantage West Midlands and Scottish Power have agreed to work together and look forward to seeing local businesses flourish as a result.”
