Call for Shrewsbury bus station to be rebuilt and all residential streets to be 20mph

Sustainable Transport Shrewsbury has urged election candidates to back a variety of pledges it has made to promote safe and sustainable travel in the town and wider county.

One of the major concerns coming from the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan was the potential loss of the bus station in favour of an increased park and ride service, though Shropshire Council leader Peter Nutting has since said the town’s masterplan transport strategy needs to be scrapped and re-done.

Sustainable Transport Shrewsbury says 40 per cent of Shropshire’s greenhouse gas emissions are from transport, and they will need to be slashed to meet the UK’s commitments under the Paris Climate Accord.

The campaigners also say that only six per cent of commuting trips in the county are by bike and more than 40 per cent of primary school children are driven to school.

Measures

As well as keeping the bus station in town and slashing the residential speed limit, Sustainable Transport Shrewsbury wants a number of measures to be introduced to boost active travel.

These, it say, could include creating safe school zones, reducing congestion, creating a walking and cycling infrastructure plan and encouraging car clubs and ride sharing.

It also wants the £87 million Shrewsbury North West Relief Road to be scrapped.

Group spokesman Mike Streetly said the proposals had received a strong response.

“We’ve already had almost half of the candidates sign up but we are looking for 100 per cent as we see these as essential to making the impact on transport emissions that is needed,” he explained.

“While we really want to encourage candidates to sign up to all of these steps, we have included an option for candidates to only sign up to some if they feel that they oppose some of these commitments.”