Bridgnorth pub hits out after damaged railings left ‘unsafe’ for months by council

The owner of a rural Bridgnorth pub has hit out at Shropshire Council after damaged railings have been left ‘unsafe’ and ‘unsightly’ for months after a tractor crash.

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Local businessman, Sir Leslie Jones, bought The Punch Bowl Inn on Ludlow Road in July last year.

At that time, the council owned railings fronting the property and separating it from the Ludlow Road were already in a poor state of repair, and after months of correspondence with Shropshire Highways, it was eventually agreed that the damaged railings would be replaced by the end of this financial year.

However, a tractor accident in July saw the damage worsen, and the pub says the railings have been left ‘unsafe’ and ‘unsightly’ for months by the council.

A spokesperson for the pub said: “Highways attended the site, inspected the damage and determined that the remaining railings were unsafe. As a result, they removed them and installed temporary plastic barriers and traffic cones in their place.

“While we appreciate the need for temporary safety measures immediately following the incident, these barriers have now remained in place for months with no indication of when permanent repairs will be carried out. We continue to be told that enquiries are being made, but no timetable for the works has been provided.

“As a hospitality business, this is having a real impact. The temporary barriers are the first thing visitors see when approaching the property and present an unsightly appearance on one of the main routes into Bridgnorth.

“More importantly, some guests have expressed concerns about safety following the removal of the original railings. Concerns from guests about feeling unsafe have previously been raised.

“The issue is no longer simply about repairing old railings. It is about replacing safety infrastructure that has been removed, addressing the consequences of the subsequent collision damage, and ensuring that a local business is not left indefinitely facing the visual and commercial impact of temporary barriers.

“That is why we continue to seek answers from Highways and why we hope that bringing attention to the issue may help secure a clear timetable for the permanent repairs.”

Shropshire Council said repairs would be made next month and blamed the delay on ‘finite resources’.

A spokesperson said: “We are planning on undertaking repairs in November. We attended the site at the time the railings were damaged to make the area safe.

“Unfortunately, other works have taken priority with the finite resources the council has available.”