Roadworks vow fails to reassure Ironbridge traders

Waterloo Street in Ironbridge will be open by December 4, according to Telford & Wrekin Council – a week earlier than planned.

The road will be closed for resurfacing from November 23. The closure had been due to be in force for three weeks.

But the closure will still run during the town's Christmas lights switch-on and businesses have called for the work to be pushed back altogether until after the festive period.

Andy Walton, who runs florists Gwhizz, said: "They are starting the work on the 23rd and we've got the Christmas lights switch-on starting on the 28th.

"If people can't park it is just going to be a damp squib. They wouldn't close the road into the Telford Shopping Centre in the run-up to Christmas.

"I don't understand why they can't do it in January or earlier in the year, it is absolute madness. They are doing this and we have had no consultation. We just can't get our head around why they are doing it.

"We understand that the work needs to be done, as businesses we know that. We just don't know why it needs to be done now. This year we've had more businesses open; the retail offer in Ironbridge has never been better.

"Although we do have problems with flooding we still have people coming down to look at the river even when the barriers are up. They're saying that they want to get the road reopened by the 4th but the weather is starting to come in.

"This time of year anything can happen, there could be bad weather, snow. It could be that the floods saves us by delaying the work."

The council has said that the necessary work has to be done at this time to avoid the busy summer tourist season.

Councillor Angela McClements, Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member for transport, said: "We completely understand the concerns of traders about this closure in the build up to Christmas and, as a general rule, we have an embargo on street repairs in town centres during the festive period.

"In Ironbridge, the tourist season lasts for 12 months of the year so there is never a good time to do this sort of work. However, it is important to see this work in the wider context of what else we have planned for Ironbridge.

"We intend to improve footpaths along The Wharfage and that work will take place either side of Easter 2016.

"In an effort to minimise disruption to businesses we have avoided works in the peak tourist season for the World Heritage Site during the summer months. That leaves us with little choice but to do Waterloo Street now.

"We aim to get the closure and diversion lifted earlier than the anticipated timeframe."