Traffic concerns over Shrewsbury High Street closure plan

Councillor Andrew Bannerman said plans to shut the road between 10am and 3pm on weekdays would increase the burden on Town Walls, the alternative route through the town.

He said the High Street proposals would not be viable without a reduction in traffic through the town, and said building a north west relief road would also help alleviate congestion.

Detailed proposals to close High Street to cars during weekdays were submitted to Shropshire Council last week. The council has indicated it will consider whether to proceed with the proposals. Councillor Bannerman said: "Thus far I am entirely supportive of the aims of this paper.

However the paper seems to ignore the lengthy debate held by Shrewsbury Town Council last year on just this subject.

"The debate concluded that however desirable a closure of High Street would be, this cannot be done without a general reduction in through traffic, since we would be just robbing Peter to pay Paul."

Councillor Bannerman said that the resulting increase in traffic on Town Walls, could further damage one of the town's most important historical assets.

He said: "Town Walls is on English Heritage's 'At Risk Register' because of the weight of traffic it carries. Town Walls is one of the most interesting and prized parts of the town centre. It contains the last remaining medieval watch tower, numerous historic buildings and a spectacular view of the Quarry and river.

"On it are two important and busy churches, a school and a college, which both exit straight on to the narrow carriage way, and numerous houses and flats. The main pedestrian routes to the Quarry cross Town Walls. Vibration and erosion cause constant damage to buildings and the historic Wall itself. The road, constructed by short-sighted engineers in the last century, is totally unsuitable as a through route for modern traffic."

Councillor Bannerman insisted that some method of diverting traffic around the town centre is required before the proposal can go ahead.

He said: "We must reduce traffic which uses Town Walls and indeed in the town centre generally. The obvious target is through traffic. There are already adequate routes avoiding the town centre for traffic which simply wishes to cross the town, except on the north-west route, where traffic has to use Smithfield Road, causing major congestion in Frankwell, Welsh Bridge, and the northern gateway. This problem can only be solved by a north-west relief road.

"We can divert through traffic in various ways, but divert it we must if the closure of High Street is to become a realistic option."