Shropshire Star

Hospital's redevelopment sparks traffic fears for World Heritage Site

Residents say they are worried a re-development of a former hospital will see more cars on the narrow roads in the area.

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People living in Lincoln Hill in Ironbridge say the street is already used as a "rat run" by motorists and worry that the proposed development of the former Beeches Hospital, combined with another building project nearby, will bring hundreds more cars into the World Heritage Site.

Shropshire Homes is planning to demolish the 20th century parts of the former hospital site on Beech Road, building 47 new homes and retaining the listed building, which will become 36 homes. The plans also include a new play area.

The housing company said it had already conducted a traffic management survey around the site.

It also plans to make a financial contribution for additional signage to indicate that traffic travelling down Lincoln Hill is prohibited.

The plans were submitted in July, but on Thursday a public consultation event was held at Coalport Village Hall, where residents were encouraged to give their views on the plans.

Trina Hollas, who lives at the top of Lincoln Hill, said she had been campaigning about traffic problems on the road since about 1993.

She said: "I am concerned, along with many other residents of Lincoln Hill about the possible increase of traffic into the World Heritage Site which will exacerbate existing problems."

She said there were also plans put forward for 99 homes on the site of the former Forbes care home site, across the road from the hospital and believes the two sites together will add almost 200 extra cars on the roads.

Henry Pettit, who also lives on Lincoln Hill , said the residents came together to do a traffic management survey of the site themselves, which showed about 770 cars using the road every day, of which he believes only 10 to 15 per cent was residents.

He said: "If they closed off the roads below, Lincoln Hill and Church Hill, then we would have no problem, they have to develop somewhere."

The building was originally the Madeley Union Workhouse and was built in 1871 before becoming a hospital in the 1930s.

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