Calls for Bridgnorth High Street to reopen

The High Street was closed at the end of July to allow the Saturday market to run with social distancing rules in place.

But town councillors at a meeting last night said that it was now time to ask Shropshire Council, which is behind the closure, to open it up again.

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Councillor Carol Whittle said that with the Covid lockdown beginning to ease, if the High Street did not open she feared that the town would start to suffer.

"I have been shielding for months and I have now be told I can stop shielding so surely this is the time that we can look at re-opening," she said.

Councillors said the main drawbacks to the closure had been that those living on the High Street could not have vehicle access to their homes and were beginning to get frustrated.

Also with the bus stop not in operation, shoppers were having to carry heavy bags to the nearest stop at the medical centre.

There was caution from Councillor David Cooper who said the re-opening should be in stages, saying that that there had been recent spikes in the virus in nearby Wolverhampton and Sandwell and now in Telford.

Councillor Clive Dyson said: "We need to open the High Street again as soon as possible."

Councillor Geoffrey Davies said the pedestrianisation was hurting the High Street while Councillor Cecilia Walker said everything must be done to help the market.

"People come to Bridgnorth to enjoy the market," she said.

"If we lose the market we may as well forget the High Street. And if the High Street dies then so will Bridgnorth. We must support the market."

Councillors stressed that if the High Street was re-opened then it would have to impress on both shoppers and market traders that safety would very much depend on their co-operation to continue to socially distance.

The council is to officially ask Shropshire Council to reopen the street.