Rallying call to save Royal British Legion clubs
- Today's leader
Concern Tenbury Wells will be cut off by work
Thursday 22nd September 2011, 10:55AM BST.
Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells could become an “island” cut off from surrounding towns if the area suffers a harsh winter while the historic Teme Bridge is closed for £1.5 million repairs, it has been claimed.
Chris Dell, of Tenbury Tourism Group, said the scenario could become reality and needed to be considered by Worcestershire County Council officials before the bridge linking the town to Shropshire and the Wyre Forest closes on January 9.
He asked officials at a meeting at Tenbury High School last night whether helicopters would be used to help bring in supplies if Tenbury was not accessible by road during the works, which are expected to take at least four months.
Peter Blake, Worcestershire County Council’s head of integrated transport, told the meeting the bridge would be reopened in the event of such an emergency.
And Chris Churchill, community fire manager for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, pledged the fire brigade’s response times in the area would not be affected by the bridge closure.
Click here to read the full story in the premium 24 website.
Sponsored Links
Most Commented
- Shropshire Council will face £8m redundancy bill
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff doesn't raise a smile
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Worcester County Council treated the Tenbury public with disdain at this meeting. When locals tried to argue the case for some temporary structure such as a Bailey Bridge assisted by local tolls to help keep some traffic flow through the town the besuited individuals on the stage just giggled. This was picked up on by others in the audience and cries of ‘shame on you’ were shouted towards the WCC execs on stage.
Out of a survey of 32 highstreet shops polled by Tenbury Futures 79% of them said that they didn’t feel that WCC had adequately consulted them before visiting months of bridge closure upon them as a ‘fait accompli’. When asked if they thought it would affect their business 100% of the sample taken said it would.
In these tough financial times is it really the best plan to deny the struggling highstreet shops in the town custom by closing the bridge? Why does it have to happen in January – why not March or afterwards when the winter conditions are less likely to affect works and allow a more flexible working pattern?
The meeting degenerated into anger and frustration with calls for a ‘proper bridge to ensure the future vitality of the town’ as opposed to spending millions on the Teme bridge which will remain as problematic for traffic after renovation as it is at present. Surely it’s far better to make safe the old Teme bridge, turn it into a pedestrianised tourist attraction and invest in a new bridge nearby as this crossing is the very life blood of the town?
Report abuse