Shropshire residents celebrate U-turn to stop lorries going down residential roads

Residents of Fismes Way and Windmill Meadow, in Wem, say they were thrilled to see signs stopping Taylor Wimpey sending construction vehicles through to a nearby building site.

But despite the good news, petitioners have said there are still questions to answer.

Windmill Meadow resident Kerry Foster campaigned against the initial plans with fellow residents.

He said: "We are of course very pleased to see the signs, but we are still quite sceptical about the company and its decision. So far we have not had any construction vehicles over the last few working days.

"But to make it a legal requirement that they use a different road, we have requested a meeting with planning officers from Shropshire Council."

The campaigners hope that if a planning condition is approved, it will force the vehicles to use nearby Oakley Meadow instead – putting to bed fears that the company will at some point divert along their own streets. Mr Foster said: "We will all relax when this is sorted.

"I think it is fair to say that a lot of the people on the road were very intimidated by the huge company, and we are quite aggrieved that we have not had full support from Shropshire Council planning authorities.

"It has made us realise that if this is happening in a sleepy little place like Wem, then there are things like this happening around the country. But we have worked together as a group and been united."

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: "We would like to reaffirm that construction vehicles will access the development site via Oakley Meadow.

"We would like to assure residents that we will do everything possible to keep disruption to a minimum by ensuring lorry wheels are washed before leaving site, that a speed limit of 10mph is enforced and a road sweeper made available to clean the roads."