A Shropshire commercial property developer has announced the latest of an unblemished thirty five year history of ultimately successful planning applications.

The achievement rounds off an excellent year for Shrewsbury based Mercian Developments Ltd at a time when the difficult economic climate has forced the demise of many other commercial developers.

By unanimous decision the firm was granted detailed planning consent last week for a £12 million redevelopment of Snedshill Industrial Estate in Telford, bringing significant investment, improvement and around 70 new jobs to the town, on an important gateway site which will promote a 31,500 sq ft Wickes DIY store and a 16,700 sq ft Aldi Store. 

Earlier in the year Mercian achieved handover of a new Sainsburys supermarket in Wombourne ahead of schedule after achieving 81% support for the scheme from local people. It is also awaiting the outcome of a planning application for the redevelopment of Oswestry Livestock Market, a scheme which will provide a £65 million investment for the town and protect the long term future of what is one of the country's leading livestock markets. And in its home town of Shrewsbury the firm is waiting on planning determination through the LDF for a mixed use retail and employment scheme on a 14 acre site in association with Diageo Pension Fund, part of the Guinness Trust.

These and other projects in Shropshire and the Midlands reflect the strength of both Mercian and the region in terms of their resilience and ability to survive the recession. Outside the region Mercian has concluded a site transaction with Sainsburys at Cardigan after gaining outline planning consent for a food store, and is now in the process of carrying out a significant infrastructure package and enabling works for the retail giant before construction of the new store begins. In another project, Mercian is working in conjunction with Tesco on the development of a new food store in Morpeth. The firm has also made a substantial increase to its investment portfiolio this year with three major acquisitions in Wales.

Speaking about the family run company's success, Managing Director Chris Towers said: "Our philosophy is simple, and one that we have demonstrated time and time again. The key to successful development is paying absolute attention to detail from inception through to completion of the project, leaving no stone unturned. Throughout our property development career we have kept our focus on quality, design and delivering the project on time. We pride ourselves on being able to identify 'niche opportunities' which can be developed profitably and, due to the careful approach we adopt, we ensure that all aspects of the scheme are delivered." 

To date Mercian has ultimately been successful with every planning application it has submitted and its track record has led the firm to be retained by some of the country's leading retailers. As well as achievements in its own right the firm has also enjoyed successful joint ventures with vendors, fellow developers, occupiers and funding institutions.