Bollards installed ‘without permission’
A parish council in Telford may have broken the law by placing bollards along a grass verge without permission, it has been revealed.
The row of short wooden posts was placed along Holland Drive, Muxton, to prevent Muxton Primary School pupils’ parents from parking between that street and nearby Thornton Park Avenue and Marshbrook Way.
“Crossed wires” meant Donnington and Muxton Parish Council and contractors Telford and Wrekin Services each thought the other had secured permission to carry out the work.
Enquiries from residents alerted Telford & Wrekin Council officers to the bollards’ presence.
Parish councillors heard they had “technically contravened the Highways Act” by installing them.
Discussions are ongoing between the councils over responsibility for them.
Parish clerk Ralph Morgan said a member of the council had met with TWS, who were, at the time, Telford and Wrekin Council’s contractors for highways maintenance.
He said he had showed them where they wanted the bollards placed.
Mr Morgan told councillors: “There was a lot of confusion because we thought Telford and Wrekin Council knew about them and agreed to them, but they didn’t.”
Residents contacted Telford and Wrekin Council about the bollards.
The borough council told the parish council they had been installed without permission.
“Technically, the parish council have contravened the Highways Act by putting them in,” Mr Morgan said.
He told councillors, in their last meeting before the elections on May 2, Telford and Wrekin’s Highways department had written to the parish asking them to take on liability.
They have also been approached to take on future maintenance costs and handle enquiries and complaints about the barrier, he added.
The 13-member council agreed to take maintenance responsibility and deal with enquiries and complaints.
There will be further meetings between the two councils about the liability issue.
