AN OSWESTRY business owner has accused the town’s Business Improvement District of going against the wishes of those who fund it.

Jane Rees, of the Oak Furniture Shop on Bailey Street, spoke out after the Advertizer revealed BID will be giving the Oswestry Balloon Carnival £10,000 to host this year’s event.

BID says it hopes it will make the carnival ‘bigger and better’.

But Mrs Rees believes the funds should not have come from money paid in by businesses in the town.

And she feels the BID group has ignored the desires of business owners in the town when it comes to spending the funds.

“It’s being run by people who don’t even have businesses in the town centre,” she said. “A few of us in the area went up to a meeting at the town hall and told them we need tourist information in the town centre, we need better signage, we need maps, we want free parking – that’s what we want and what we think would help to bring people into the town centre all year round.

“We give them all that information and then we find out they’ve given £10,000 of the money we’ve put in to the balloon festival. What happens if it chucks it down with rain on that weekend?

“The balloon festival is a great idea – yes we had more people in the town last year and yes we have an increased footfall, but it’s too high risk.

“Last year it was cancelled on the Sunday due to rain and strong winds. So, they could potentially have that money and the town not see much benefit from it – were they not listening to us? We told them what we wanted, and they haven’t listened.”

Mrs Rees stressed that her gripe is not with the balloon carnival but insisted she does not understand why the event requires such a substantial financial boost.

She added: “I can see the point of having the balloon festival in the town, but I don’t know why they have just given them £10,000. I really can’t see the point – it was fine last year with the money they had.

“It’s a big chunk of money and the fact they have ignored the things we’ve asked for is really frustrating.

“You can do a lot with £10,000 which would give the town better long-term benefits rather than bundling the money into one payment and praying the weather doesn’t ruin everything,” she added.

“Why can’t the money for the festival be put in by the council rather than by businesses.

“It’s really frustrating to see our hard-earned money being frittered.,” she continued, “It’s not their money they’re playing with. The rates are bad enough in the town centre as it is, especially for us small businesses. We have to find an awful lot of money to pay to be here.”

“If we decided to pack up and go because of the rates, this town will die.”

Oswestry BID manager Adele Nightingale said: “If any levy payer would like an update on any of the BIDs activities, I am more than happy to meet up and explain where we are with various projects and to listen to any issues or to discuss any ideas that anyone may have.”