Welcome to the Three Parishes 'Our Bigger Story' website. This is part of the multi media evaluation of 15 Big Local areas in England. The website is an opportunity to follow what is changing in Three Parishes as a result of Big Local over a ten year period.
The aim of the website is to share the learning from everything that is happening in Revoe Blackpool with other Big Local areas and highlight what works in communities with a wider audience of practitioners and policy makers.
The Grade II Listed buildings at Gobowen Station were built in a distinctive Italianate style, and form an important landmark in the heart of the village. They were converted for business use in the 1980's, but following long-term neglect they were put up for auction by 2016. Gobowen Area Improvement Group (an umbrella organisation representing various local bodies) campaigned for the buildings to be used for the benefit of the community and to encourage public transport use, including reinstatement of a train service to the Orthopaedic Hospital and Oswestry. The following year the freehold was acquired by Oswestry Station Building Trust (OSBT), enabled by a loan and grant from Three Parishes Big Local. This has safeguarded the not-for-profit booking office run by Severn Dee Travel and its popular cafe (recently much improved) which Derwen College operates with work-experience students. The vacant unit in the main building has been renovated by OSBT and fitted with an air-source heat pump. It has found short-term use as a railway contractor's office, but a shop and community facilities are planned for the future. However the exterior of the main building remains a huge and expensive problem " the 1980's cement render is falling off, and trapping moisture in the walls. It needs to be replaced with breathable lime render, together with roofing repairs, repainting, and scaffolding complying with Network Rail's strict safety requirements. OSBT is currently seeking funds for this work.