Signs life is getting back to normal at Jackfield

For them, it means that the multi-million pound Jackfield Stabilisation project is coming to a close.

Telford & Wrekin Council announced today that it is on track and the majority of the work will be finished by the end of the month.

Hundreds of trees have now been planted to replace those that were felled at the start of the project.

Janet French, who runs Janet and Sandra's Crafts in Maw's Craft Centre said they are delighted that the end is in sight for the works.

Mrs French said the new road, in particular, has been a blessing, as many regular shoppers had stopped visiting the craft centre, inside a former tile factory, as it had become too difficult to drive down.

She said: "It will be such a relief. People have not wanted to drive on the road for such a long time – even before the work began – just because it was in such a bad state. People who had been customers for a long time just said they couldn't come any more.

"But the new road is beautiful, we're just hoping for a lovely summer and to get back to some proper work."

She added: "There is a lot of landscaping going on at the moment and I think there will be people on the site for the next three years maintaining it.

"But when it is finished it is going to look wonderful."

She said that landscape workers were preparing the site for the return of wildlife and were planting up a mix of plants and trees aimed at returning the bank to its former glories.

The initial work to stabilise the land finished in September last year, but the area has remained a building site as contractors McPhillips of Wellington completed other essential works.

The £17.6m work has included the treatment of mine workings underground in the area.

There has been piling to create reinforcements under the land as well as river bank protection to prevent further erosion.

There has been drainage of water from the land to prevent anything that may cause future land movement, and a new highway has been built between the end of the Tile Museum to near Maws Craft Centre to replace the existing road and landscaping.

Charlotte Dade, of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "Work is now taking place to lay footpaths, carry out landscaping and install benches and interpretation boards.

"The majority of the work will be completed by the end of March."

The scheme began a year ago to stabilise part a major land slip and has halted land movement on the southern bank of the River Severn, the high cost including a council contribution of £5.6 million.

Restoration works have continued throughout the winter since the piling was completed.

These final works are primarily to make the site green again and to encourage wildlife to return.

The council is continuing to lobby government for further funding to address instability issues throughout the Ironbridge Gorge, with a further £60 million plus needed in the coming years.

Due to the relatively young geological age of the Gorge, it is prone to land slips and instability, and, in recent years, stabilisation works have been needed on Jiggers Bank, which leads into Coalbrookdale.

A stretch of road across the river from the stabilisation works in Jackfield was also closed briefly last year to secure the overhanging rock face which had become loose.