Now is the perfect time for businesses to develop in Shropshire, it has been claimed.

Shropshire Council’s Place Overview Committee was told that there are many companies that would want to set up in the county.

Committee chair, Councillor Joyce Barrow, said: “It is an exciting time for Shropshire at the moment in terms of business. Thing are moving forward in so many ways.

“It is the perfect time to come to Shropshire and develop and we have big plans in the business and tourism sectors.”

Councillor Steve Charmley, deputy leader of Shropshire Council, agreed and said major developments lined up in Oswestry and Shrewsbury were testament to that.

“You are right to say it is an exciting time because there is lots to be enthused by.

“We have the Riverside and shopping centre developments in Shrewsbury and lots of plans in Oswestry.

“We are getting the infrastructure in place and I can see opportunities in the future where we can apply for and secure funding to take things even further forward.

“There were some opportunities not that long ago to apply for funding but the time wasn’t right then; now we are in a position where we can take things forward.

And Matthew Potts, business growth manager at the council, said the business landscape was “encouraging”.

He said: “There are lots of companies wanting to come to the county and many more wanting to grow their business.”

“The vision of the council’s Invest In Shropshire programme is to be the best place to do business and invest, renowned for its pool of local talent and expertise.

“We will strive to maximise our economic potential and increase productivity by fully utilising the benefits of our special environment and high quality assets.”

He added that Shropshire has a £6.26 billion economy, a 3.2 per cent growth on 2017.

It has 15,480 business, with more than one in five of those in the agricultural sector.

Of those, 12,000 businesses employ four members of staff or fewer.

Shropshire’s average wage is £24,780 and 82.4 per cent of those aged 16 to 64 are economically active.