Row over passes for A41 roadworks
Friday 20th November 2009, 10:50AM GMT.
Council chiefs today insisted permits had not been withdrawn for residents living along Shropshire’s A41 while controversial roadworks were ongoing following rumours.
Yellow passes were issued to people living on the affected section of the busy trunk road. The permits were given out so they would still have access to homes and businesses while the three-week essential resurfacing work was being carried out.
Other motorists are facing 30-mile diversion routes.
But it was today revealed that engineers working on site between Chetwynd Firs, north of Newport, and Standford Bridge had been bombarded with drivers using fake passes and one worker had even been spat on and others verbally abused.
Residents claimed workers on site told them as a result of the incidents all permits were going to be revoked.
Peter Spicer, who owns Chetwynd Firs Boarding Kennels & Cattery, said he had been told by workmen on the barriers that the pass system had been “temporarily revoked” as “all sorts of people were going through”.
But Telford & Wrekin Council transport chiefs today insisted that was not the case and that initial teething problems with the roadworks had been ironed out.
Councillor Stephen Bentley, the authority’s transport cabinet member, said: “Following consultation residents and businesses on the section of the A41 where the works are were given passes to allow them to their homes and businesses during the work.
“These passes do not, however, allow them through the works.
“After some initial issues where other people attempted to copy these passes and some abuse of the contractors’ gatemen, these issues have now stopped.”
By Wayne Beese
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Why don’t the Councillor’s and Telford and Wrekin officials admit that they’ve got it wrong yet again? May be even apologise for mayhem they have caused not only along the A41 but also along the numerous side roads which are now being hammered by the increased traffic.
For example, the verges along the Puleston to Sambrook road are being destroyed because wagons, tractors and cars are all trying to pass each other on ‘passing places’ which were not designed for such traffic. My question to the ‘powers that be’ is will they pay for the repairs to these roads once the A41 reopens? I think we all know the answer to that one!
May be the Shropshire Star can find out the answers to questions that have been posed by local residents which, hitherto, have not been answered by the Council. These include whether the Council has the power to close the A41 miles away from the actual roadworks. Many residents believe that the ‘Traffic Regulation Order’ only applies to the site of the roadworks itself!
A second, but equally important question is whether the ‘gatemen’ [haven't seen any women] have [a] the right to stop you and [b] ask, “where are you going”? I thought only the Police had such powers and only then if they had ‘good reason’.
It seems to me that Telford and Wrekin Officials and Councillors have been keen to use the word ‘consultation’ in their interviews. I’m not convinced any of them know the meaning of the word!
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with reference to the road works the council has got no idea how much this diversion is costing transport with this 30 mile diversion it should have been better thought out the works between hinstock were carried outall this diversion
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It is NEVER necessary to close a road for 3 weeks to do repairs. Lazy, arrogant, money-wasting public “servants”. If there was an earthquake you’d be amazed how quickly you can rebuild a road. Two choices I think for these morons: get it finished SOON and open the road, or get traffic lights up WHERE NECESSARY (not the entire section you blithering idiots) and again, HURRY UP AND GET IT DONE. People do not have time to waste waiting for idiots to repair roads.
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I live in Puleston and the roads down there are terrible now, full of mud and dangerous, if the farmers were making the roads this muddy and slippy there would be hell to pay but its ok because its the council. Why could they have not used their brains and closed one side a part at a time and had a traffic light system rather than ruin the small country lanes. Even our 4×4 struggles down there now its that wet and boggy. They have issued residents passes but you dont even need them as you cant get through the roadworks anyway so you still have to go round so please explain to me what they are for. And what a waste of money paying some poor bloke to sit in a van day and night just to make sure no one goes through! Typical council.
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