Calls for car park traffic to be re-routed
Hundreds of thousands of cars a year are routed through residential streets from a town's main car park, forcing householders to keep windows shut – it has been claimed.
A residents' association is calling for the exit from Oswestry Central Car Park to be re-routed away from the housing saying its pleas over several years have fallen on deaf ears.
Peter Lloyd from the Trinity Street group spoke to a meeting of Oswestry town council on Wednesday.
Councillors were discussing their priorities for road safety changes they want to see.
Motorists enter the town's biggest car park via Salop Road, one of the main routes into the town. The exit is onto the junction of Roft Street, Ferrers Road and Smithfield Street.
Mr Lloyd said that about a third of drivers took the Smithfield Street route into the town centre, the rest opting to drive past houses on Roft Street, Ferrers Road and Stuart Road.
He said last year 566,572 tickets were bought for the car park.
"Residents are suffering the environmental cost of two thirds of that traffic," he said.
"They have to keep their windows shut throughout the summer because of the noise and the fumes."
He said residents had been complaining for many years.
"In 2004 a report looking at the traffic flow of Oswestry was commissioned but very little has been acted upon. In 2011 the residents prepared a three page report calling for a change to the exit and entry route but we have not seen any changes.
"Residents who live in the centre of the town care about Oswestry. We believe the car park is part of the problem of falling visitors to the town centre and we would like to know how we can help. We are part of the heart of the town and have an important part to play."
Mr Lloyd said residents also supported Oswestry traders who wanted to see a change in the way car park charges were made.
At the moment there is a pay and display system with drivers buying their tickets on arrival at the car park.
Mr Lloyd said shopkeepers felt the system led to shoppers having to cut short their visit to Oswestry because their ticket time was running out.
"A pay on exit system or even the up-to-date method of payment via mobile phone would help keep shoppers in the town," he added.
Town Councillors agreed to look at the car park.
Oswestry's Central car park was built on the site of the former Livestock Market and is one of four run by the town council.
