Oswestry's unsightly 'road hogs' set up during pandemic finally set to be removed
A scheme has been agreed to replace unsightly street furniture in the centre of Oswestry.
The Future Oswestry Group (FOG), which is made up of representatives from Shropshire Council, Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID) and Oswestry Town Council, has agreed the new plans.
Church Street currently has road barriers, also known as road hogs, separating the pathway and road, which were installed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, following recovery grant funding from the UK Government.
During the pandemic, Oswestry BID committed £100,000 to fund Church Street enhancement works, and following recent calls from the Oswestry community to remove the hogs, the FOG has been working to find a solution.
The final scheme has now been agreed, and some hogs have already been removed. Other activity is due to start within the next week.
A recent road safety audit concluded that the road hogs at the North end of Church Street (by The Cross) can now be removed.
However, it said some road hogs must remain near Festival Square for traffic safety purposes, and planters will be put in position temporarily until the re-surfacing scheme is completed.
Church Street will be resurfaced this September.
Following this, the temporary planters will be fixed into a permanent position, alongside other elements of the scheme.
Adele Nightingale, Oswestry BID manager, said: “We have worked so hard to drive this project forward.
“It’s been disappointing to deal with the delays to Church Street works, and we’ve listened to businesses who have been unhappy with the current set-up.
“It’s now time to focus on delivery, and get this done for the town, as we believe the proposed plans will make a significant difference.
“We’ve appreciated the support from Oswestry Town Council and our MP, and whilst we understand the pressures that the local authority faces, we are relieved to now have the full agreement of Shropshire Council on implementation, and look forward to delivering this long-awaited, much-needed project for Oswestry.”
Councillor Robert Macey, Cabinet member for culture and digital, and member of the Future Oswestry Group said: “We’re aware the current hogs on Church Street have caused a significant amount of frustration within the Oswestry community and have dealt with the concerns with the highest priority.
“We hope to share visualisations of what Church Street will look like after it’s been resurfaced with the public soon, so that the community can look ahead and start to feel excited about the positive changes set to take place.”
The mayor of Oswestry, Councillor Olly Rose said: “We are pleased that the hogs will be removed, and we, like residents and visitors look forward to seeing the improvements to Church Street in the coming months.”
