New road safety measures won't be coming to this part of Shrewsbury any time soon
Plans to implement new road safety measures in one area of Shrewsbury won’t come to fruition any time soon – with further consultations set to take place.
Councillor Rosemary Dartnall, who represents Column and Sutton on Shropshire Council, says she has pursued improvements in an area that has seen 2,000 more homes and an increase in traffic.
This includes a new toucan crossing in Wenlock Road, which she said was first lobbied for by her predecessor in 2021. The highways team applied for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding at the end of last year, with a decision to be made in March.
Other measures she highlighted include yellow lines on a section of Wenlock Road and Huxley Close, and upgrading existing zebra crossings and a speed limit reduction on London Road and Wenlock Road. Meanwhile, there has been no externally funded footpath from Weir Hill to London Road or improvements to Belvidere Bridge, despite being funded through ‘Section 106′ agreements with developers.
Raising the issue at a council cabinet meeting, Councillor Dartnall said: “Despite successfully making the case for a number of improvements, with officer agreement, change simply does not happen.
“Although I have regularly pushed for information, I have received no communication of consequence – not even an update that shows progression and/or a timeline for completion.
“I’ve heard nothing concrete about any of these and other necessary minor projects. Residents simply do not understand and neither do I.
“What is the problem? The administration of CIL and S106 monies is opaque when it should be managed openly with full transparency including the involvement of elected members.
“Please explain why S106 and CIL allocation is managed so mysteriously. What is being done to change this?”
Referring to having yellow lines, Councillor David Vasmer, portfolio holder for highways, said that the consultation is in parallel with adjacent proposals around traffic management measures in support of a local school street initative. However, it is now proposed that the consultation is “re-run” in isolation around the yellow line restrictions in the area of Huxley Close.
“This will allow officers to assess the residents’ responses to this matter in a focused way, allow any recommendations to pursue an enforcement scheme to be accurate around the local implications,” said Councillor Vasmer.
“It is envisaged this could be completed in around six weeks and residents will be informed of the start of this process.
“We apologise in the delay to this matter. This initiative has been previously led by officers who are no longer with the council.”
Regarding upgrading the zebra crossings, Councillor Vasmer said it would also require detailed consultation, including the potential benefits on traffic movement and pedestrian safety, and the affordability.
“It is also proposed that detailed plans are now prepared for the launch of this consultation in collaboration with the local member and portfolio holder,” he said.
Meanwhile, talking specifically about CIL funding, Councillor David Walker, portfolio holder for planning, said: “It is recognised that there have been recent concerns expressed about the transparency of this process including the need for greater member oversight of this decision-making process.
“The allocation is likely to be subject to further member scrutiny later in 2025 and officers are committed to working with members to ensure this process is fit for purpose and fully transparent.”
Councillor Heather Kidd, the leader of Shropshire Council, also said that everyone should be able to see the community benefits, and it will be dealt with as quickly as possible.
