Survey over traffic changes in Shrewsbury
A survey is being launched to gather people’s views on how a town centre’s traffic arrangements have worked over the summer.
Since mid-June, when shops were allowed to reopen, Shrewsbury High Street and adjacent streets have been closed to vehicles to allow room for social distancing and for businesses to use the outside space for seating customers.
Shrewsbury Recovery Taskforce, made up of Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council and Shrewsbury BID, is now asking for feedback from the public about what has worked - and what hasn’t.
Councillor Peter Nutting, leader of Shropshire Council, said: “The most obvious change has been closing High Street to traffic during the day, and making Wyle Cop one-way, so all inward traffic has had to go around the inner ring road or along Town Walls, St John’s Hill and Claremont Bank.
“We are acutely aware of the impacts of increased traffic on Town Walls and adjacent streets and representatives from the Recovery Taskforce have been in regular dialogue with residents in recent weeks to hear their concerns.
“This survey is an important part of the review of traffic measures this summer and will help us to decide steps we might take in the longer-term to improve transport and pedestrian movement in and around Shrewsbury.”
Leader of Shrewsbury Town Council, Alan Mosley, said removing traffic had improved the atmosphere in the High Street and surrounding areas and he had heard many people praising the move. However, any future long-term measures had to be carefully considered from all points of view, he said.
“I would urge everyone to have their say - whether they live or work in the town centre, or just visit occasionally,” he added. “This is a chance to learn from the previous three months and we want to hear everyone’s views.
“By bringing in these changes we have carried out a really useful experiment in increasing pedestrianisation beyond the Pride Hill area, which we can use to inform any future decision-making linked to the objectives of the Big Town Plan.
“It is vitally important that as many people as possible complete this survey so they can tell us what they think.”
The survey can be completed at shrewsburybigtownplan.org
