Challenge to axing of £70,000 Church Stretton road plan

Councillors in Church Stretton have challenged a decision to scrap a £70,000 project to widen pavements on one of the town's busiest roads.

Members of Church Stretton Town Council believe the decision to ditch the Town Centre Enhancement Scheme was based on 'last minute scaremongering' by members of the Concerned Residents of Stretton campaign group and that the issue has been 'divisive' for the town.

The scheme would have seen eight on-street parking spaces in High Street removed to enable the pavement to be widened.

The council has now sent a formal complaint to Shropshire Council's monitoring officer in a bid to overturn the decision, which was made by Shropshire Council's south planning committee on January 3.

Christine Harvey, town clerk, said councillors also wanted to 'rebuild trust and harmony' between the council and residents.

The plans to widen the pavement had received £35,000 funding from Shropshire Council's Market Towns Revitalisation Programme and had been discussed for several years by councillors and in the community. Plans were initially given the go-ahead by Shirehall officials last year.

But hundreds of people signed a petition calling for the existing layout to be retained, amid claims it could drive away elderly and disabled shoppers.

Mrs Harvey said: "The decision disadvantages unfairly the economy of Church Stretton, given the national evidence of the importance of pedestrian access to the survival of High Street shops as outlined in the Portas Review.

"While the town council is anxious to rebuild trust and harmony which this very divisive episode has caused, it has received so many representations from local residents who are alarmed at Shropshire Council's U-turn and so the town council sincerely hopes that by taking this action trust in the democratic process will be restored."