Although it has taken longer than originally planned due to obtaining permissions and, of course Covid-19, Oswestry BID has now completed Phase I of its Footfall Counting System.

This means that, as a town, we are now able to track and monitor our footfall. We’ll not only be able to track the number of visitors per day, even per hour, we will also be able to assess dwell time, where the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ spots are, and what impact events really have on footfall.

This information will be useful to encourage inward investment as many businesses looking to take on new premises or to start up in a town need to understand what the footfall of the town is, even down to a particular area within the town.

It may also help businesses and agencies like the Police to plan their staffing levels as we’ll have a real understanding of how footfall moves around town. In time, we’ll be able to differentiate between ‘regular visitors’ and ‘new visitors’, to understand what our visitor economy looks like which can help to shape and focus our marketing efforts to promote Oswestry.

Oswestry BID levy payers will have access to this information through a report to be circulated monthly. Highlights will also be presented on our website OneOswestry.co.uk in the form of a dashboard: (insert table attached).

We are pushing on with Phase II which will add to the sensor units already in operation to provide some additional coverage, ensuring that we’ve included all the key points of entry to Oswestry Town Centre.

This is a really exciting project for Oswestry and if anyone wants to have more information, please don’t hesitate to contact adele.nightingale@oswestry4bid.co.uk