Wrekin MP and police commissioner 'incredibly disappointed' as average speed cameras for Shropshire A41 'accident blackspot' rejected
A decision to reject average speed cameras on a notorious stretch of the A41 in Shropshire has been met with an angry reaction from both an MP and the police and crime commissioner.
Mark Pritchard and John Campion voiced their frustration after a long-awaited report, commissioned by Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire Council, concluded that there was 'no clear justification' for installing the cameras on the 26.7-mile route between the M54 at Tong and the Prees Heath roundabout near Whitchurch.
Both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils say no decision has yet been made,. but both authorities are expected to adopt the findings of the report.
Mr Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, said it was 'one of the worst decisions' he had seen locally, and said Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils would be 'hugely irresponsible' if they rejected the cameras.
“The A41 is known to be a dangerous road," he said. "Many people are killed and injured on it every single year.
“I secured funding for average speed cameras almost two years ago, with support from John Campion the West Mercia Police & Crime Commissioner, and I am hugely annoyed both councils, have now effectively vetoed the average speed cameras."
The report, carried out by infrastructure firm Amey, found that while the A41 had a significantly higher rate of serious and fatal collisions than the national average, many of the issues related to poor signs, worn markings, and inconsistent road layouts rather than excess speed, and provided a series of recommendations for improvements.
It comes after Mr Campion provided £400,000 to tackle speeding on dangerous stretches of road across the West Mercia force area through the use of average speed camera schemes.
The West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner said he was disappointed by the decision, and accused the councils of delaying action to make the route safer.
He said: "I am incredibly disappointed that, after three years, the councils' report does not support the greater use of technology on this road.
"I welcome the limited engineering improvements that have been delivered, however the report highlights that there is more to do. I am calling on the councils, as the relevant highway authorities, to ensure that this happens without further delay. I cannot help but wonder how many crashes could have been prevented if action had been taken sooner."
Mr Pritchard said that while improved highway engineering and design could also play a part in reducing collisions, those works should not replace the obvious need for average speed cameras.
“Given the lethality of the road, I believe average speed cameras and improved road design at the most dangerous points in the road should be approved without further delay.," he said.
In 2022, Mr Campion allocated £600,000 for road safety measures across West Mercia, including new staff for the police road safety team and two additional mobile speed camera vans. Of that funding, £400,000 was specifically set aside for developing and delivering average speed camera schemes in Shropshire and Herefordshire, subject to business case approval.
While the A49 in Herefordshire is set to benefit from a new scheme, the A41 has now been ruled out.
The Amey report found that the A41 had a KSI (killed or seriously injured) severity ratio of 31.8 per cent, compared with 20.4 per cent nationally, indicating that collisions were significantly more severe than average.
It added that many crashes occurred at junctions, and found defects including poor visibility, worn road markings, and inconsistent lane widths.
Site visits also identified "recurring issues" with road signs, surface conditions, and non-standard street furniture.
However, it did not recommend an average speed camera scheme on the road, stating: "It has been identified that parts of the route may contain very old culvert structures that should receive investigation to ascertain their existing structural profile as well as a lack of justification for the implementation of safety cameras."
The full report can be found here.
Both Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire Council were approached for comment by the Shropshire Star.
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