Roadworks to go ahead without four month closure
Plans for four months of roadworks that were put off after an outcry from village residents will now go ahead, but with traffic lights instead of a road closure.
Residents around Caynham, near Ludlow, have said they are happy their concerns have been listened to after Severn Trent Water scrapped a plan to close the rural road between Clee Hill and Ashford Carbonel, that links the village with main roads, the A49 and A4117.
Instead the water company has agreed to carry out the works with a traffic light system, to run for three and a half months, starting on Monday.
Dave Kiernan, programme engineer, said: "We held a drop in session for customers in the area to tell us what they thought of our plans to invest £500,000 to install more than four kilometres of new water pipes in the area.
"Based on what the people at the session told us, we halted work, went away and had a rethink.
"We had planned to start work in Caynham in the spring of this year, but at the first drop in session, there was strong opposition to our plans, which local residents thought were too disruptive for such a small village.
"So we listened, took on board the concerns, and went back to the drawing board to come up with a new plan. We introduced our revised plan to customers at a second drop in session and received a far better reception."
Ian Jones, who owns Glebe Barn self-catering cottage along Caynham Road, said: "Communication between Severn Trent and local people and businesses has been good."
He said residents were concerned they would have to go a long way out of their way to get to and from their homes if the road was closed.
"I'm pleased that they took those concerns on board," he said.
Parish councillor Alan Jones said: "This time they (Severn Trent Water and contractors Amey) presented the plans very well. It shouldn't cause too much inconvenience. We weren't happy at first, but we are now."
The only road closure will be of the smaller Greet road, which links with Caynham Road, for three to four weeks, during the works which will run from Monday until October 14.
