HS2: Owen Paterson MP meets transport minster over impacts on Shropshire
Avoiding sending HS2 construction traffic through a village on the Shropshire border could prove expensive, an MP has warned.
North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson discussed concerns about the impact the scheme could have on Woore, near Market Drayton, at a face-to-face meeting with transport minister Chris Grayling.
Following the meeting, Mr Paterson said one option to avoid Woore was to extend a tunnel in nearby Whitmore in Staffordshire, but this would prove to be very expensive.
The current proposed route would see the majority of HGVs travel from the A51 and turn onto the A525 at Woore. Residents and councillors recently formed an action group to fight the plans.
The group’s action plan The group has formed an action plan which includes health and safety measures being checked and validated. It also wants to install traffic and air pollution measuring systems.
Plus they are calling for the footpath widths and safety crossings to be checked as residents in Pipe Gate have to currently cross the A51 three times in order to reach the village centre.
Mr Paterson said: “I explained to Chris the problem with Woore and what the concerns are. Woore will be severely affected during the construction phase with the amount of traffic coming through it.
“There are different options being looked at. To avoid Woore by extending the tunnel under Whitmore would be very expensive.
“The minister is going to come back to me and discuss what the options are.”
Recently council officials and campaigners spent a morning walking the route HS2 construction traffic could be using through Woore if plans go ahead.
Shropshire councillor Roy Aldcroft, for Market Drayton East, said the walk was very helpful to see what impact the HGVs would have.
He said: “It was very interesting. We had people from Shropshire Council’s highways department, parish councillors and campaigners join us. We mainly looked at the junction of the A51 and A525 and saw a few large lorries needing a wide turning area to get out of the junction.
“The HS2 construction lorries would be even bigger so some alterations would be needed. However what was clear to see is that routing construction traffic through Woore is a no-go and an alternative route needs to be found.”
A spokesperson for HS2 said: “We understand people living close to the line of route will be concerned.
“That’s why we have set up a series of compensation schemes to help give homeowners affected by the scheme the chance to sell their properties at their full unblighted market value, well ahead of the start of construction.”
