'Reputational damage' over Shrewsbury's controversial floating bus stop prompts call to halt work on movement strategy

Major concerns have been raised over traffic congestion and the ability of firefighters and other emergency crews to reach serious incidents quickly.

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Now Councillor Alan Mosley is calling for an independent review of the scheme.

Mr Mosley, Labour councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington, has put forward a motion ahead of a Shrewsbury Town Council meeting tonight (March 16).

He said: “Shrewsbury Town Council recognises that the impact of the new station gyratory system has caused great and ongoing inconvenience, stress and hardship - and has impacted on the wellbeing for large numbers of residents which we represent. 

“We also believe that businesses and visitors have also suffered as a consequence of the scheme.”

Mr Mosley noted that Shropshire Council’s Task and Finish Group had identified shortcomings in the work and made significant recommendations, including a rigorous and independent safety review, also highlighting the concerns of blue light services; the planning, governance and financial implications.

“We support these recommendations, which were adopted by cabinet on December 3, and urge that the work be undertaken as a matter of urgency,” Mr Mosley added. “However, we are also only too aware that the levels of publicity and reputational damage has caused many to reconsider or learn about the overall Movement Strategy for Shrewsbury (MS), which is designed to encourage active travel and reduce private car journeys, especially through the town centre. 

“These are objectives which we support but which are now being questioned. “This is particularly the case given the ongoing negative reports, the serious findings of the Task and Finish Group and the fact that the consultants who prepared the MS also endorsed the gyratory scheme as did Active Travel England. 

“The severe financial difficulties facing Shropshire Council, and the clarity that the North West Relief Road is now cancelled, greatly add to the growing sense of uncertainty and foreboding around the current MS plans. 

“We therefore call upon Shropshire Council to recognise this widespread push-back and the lessons to be learned from the gyratory work. 

“We further ask that, in the interest of Shrewsbury’s residents, businesses and visitors, no further work should be undertaken by Shropshire Council on the current MS until an in-depth and independent review is undertaken - including alternative solutions with greatly enhanced public and stakeholder involvement and assurance that finance is available to properly implement any scheme.”

The motion will be put to the town council at a meeting at 6pm today at the authority’s Livesey House headquarters in St John’s Hill, Shrewsbury.

To listen in, visit shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/town-council/council-meetings/ and click the “join meeting” tab for the full council meeting on March 16.