Businessman urges residents to re-think Oxon Link Road

Edward Goddard, managing director of Shrewsbury-based Morris Leisure, said many residents of Gains Park in Shrewsbury and the villages of Bicton and Montford Bridge may be unaware that they will be unable to access Churncote roundabout on the A5 from Welshpool Road if the new road is approved.

The Oxon Link Road, which would be a two-lane carriageway about one mile in length, would connect the Churncote roundabout on the A5 to the Holyhead Road at Oxon.

The road is anticipated to be complete by 2021 if it gains planning approval.

Residents of Gains Park will have to drive an additional distance of one mile, the other alternative will be to drive through the housing estate to link up with Mytton Oak Road and then on to the A5, according to Mr Goddard.

Mr Goddard owns Oxon Touring and Holiday Home Park, and the new road, which is the first part of the proposed Shrewsbury North West Relief Road, will pass near the park’s entrance.

The link road, proposed by Shropshire Council, will bisect the park’s current access road from Welshpool Road that also serves a shopping centre and Oxon Park and Ride car park.

Mr Goddard said the planning application does not include a footbridge or traffic control to ensure the safety of pedestrians walking from the park across the proposed new road to the local shopping centre and other facilities.

He said: “This road scheme is badly designed, ill thought out, will put families and children at risk and will impact on the lives of thousands of people.

“The people of Montford Bridge are going to have more traffic travelling through their village. Our experienced highways consultant says the traffic modelling is inadequate and there is a lack of information in the council’s planning application about the likely impact on these communities.

“The council appears to have cherry-picked the positives and glossed over the negatives.”

Matt Johnson, Shropshire Council’s strategic transport and contracts manager, said the Oxon Link Road would remove traffic from Welshpool Road, and welcomed further comments.

He said: “The Oxon Link Road will provide a much needed alternative to the existing A458 Welshpool Road. It will completely remove through traffic from Welshpool Road, changing its function and character to better serve new and existing development while enhancing the local community centre.

“The planning application that has recently been submitted includes peoples' thoughts gathered from a two-day drop-in exhibition that we held earlier this year, but we welcome further comments from the public and stakeholders as part of the planning application process.

“More information on the full application, and methods of response and comment can be found through the online planning register. All responses will then be registered and considered as part of the current planning application.”