Next phase revealed in Shrewsbury pipe works

Work has already taken place in Oteley Road up to the Thieves Lane roundabout.

Severn Trent said the next stage was to lay new pipes in the area.

Residents in the Weeping Cross area of Shrewsbury were today invited to a drop-in session next week to hear more about the next part of planned work to make water supplies in the area more reliable. The work is part of a £2.1 million investment the company has begun in the area.

The drop-in session is taking place on Monday at the Percy Thrower's Garden and Leisure Centre, Oteley Road, between 10am and 6pm.

Gareth Mead, from Severn Trent Water, said: "We've now stopped the work that was taking place in Oteley Road and all the traffic management on the road has been cleared in time for Christmas. In the new year we'll continue the work on Thieves Lane roundabout and begin laying new water pipes from the bridge in Oteley Road through Meole Brace roundabout towards Roman Road."

Mr Mead has urged residents to come along to make their voices heard, which he says could make a difference to the firm's plans.

He said: "We'd encourage local people to come along, meet the team, and learn more about our work, while also giving their views – after all, the people who know the area best are the local residents."

"This work could be tricky and while we think we've found the best way of laying the pipes with the minimum impact, we're hoping that, by talking to the community, they'll help us to find those little gems of information which can make a huge difference to our plans."

Severn Trent's contract partner, Amey, plans to begin laying the new pipes at the beginning of the New Year.

While works are being carried out, there will be a series of traffic lights, and more information about this will be available at the drop-in session.

Mr Mead added: "We know that we may cause some inconvenience for the local community, and we'd like to apologise to anyone who will be affected by this work and to ask for their patience.

"We know that closing roads will cause disruption but this work will help us to keep the water running for our customers for years to come."