A “first-of-its-kind” mushroom coffee shop could be set to open in Oswestry after receiving a funding boost from the town council.

The proposed ‘Shrooma’ cafe was awarded £5,000 of funding for shop front improvements as part of an initiative to bring empty town centre properties back into use.

Based at the Grade II listed number 6 Cross Street, the enterprise will operate as a coffee shop on the ground floor with the upper floors of the building dedicated to growing “gourmet and medical grade” mushrooms.

Documentation supplied with the application said the grant would be put towards a £90,000 overall scheme of works to bring the building back into use, with the contribution from the council earmarked for a number of external improvements including external decoration and replacement of windows and doors.

The shop was formerly home to high-street fashion outlet Dorothy Perkins, but has sat empty since 2021 when the store closed following the collapse of owners Arcadia group.

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“The property has been empty for an extended period of time beyond the six months stipulation. It is located in a central location and as such is located within the Town Council boundaries, ” said the town council’s report.

“The building is to be used as a Mushroom Shop and Coffee Shop. The project is hoped to generate employment in the town, improve the commercial space with the coffee shop also offering a shop to purchase mushrooms and other local produce.

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“The works are aimed at improving the shop frontage, transforming the bottom floor into a coffee shop to sell mushroom coffee and the top two floors to be transformed into a mushroom farm, growing gourmet and medical grade mushrooms. ”

The application for funding was approved unanimously by a meeting of Oswestry Town Council, but they added that the award is dependent on a successful planning application.

An application for listed building consent for the shop front alterations was lodged with Shropshire Council last month, and is currently in progress.

The town council’s “Breathing New Life Into Empty Properties” grant scheme has been in operation for the past year and the town council says 19 different properties have benefitted from the scheme.