Make Shrewsbury school roads 20mph or risk tragedy, warns leader after latest injury

Yet another collision happened near Meole Brace School and The Priory School in Shrewsbury this week.

A woman in her 60s sustained a head injury when she was knocked down at a Longden Road pedestrian crossing by a young cyclist on his way to school.

It comes after campaigners called for road safety measures to put in place in the area. Meole Traffic Group has been lobbying Shropshire Council for safer roads for a number of years, and at the end of last year the Radbrook Road Safety Group was launched by two mums whose sons had been involved in incidents on the roads.

The woman hurt in the latest incident was taken to the Nuffield hospital before spending six hours in A&E at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. She did not suffer any broken bones, but said she had a sore neck, back and arm after the incident.

A raft of safety measures are on the cards for the area, including a 20mph zone. Last month, campaigners from the Radbrook group were told by a Shropshire Council officer that the authority will be "making it safer to walk and cycle" in the area and more details will be on the way in February 2023.

Meole councillor Bernie Bentick, who is part of the Meole Traffic Group, called for the area to be made a 20mph School Streets zone immediately. He said: "I call for immediate declaration of the roads approaching our Meole schools to be designated as School Streets, with no further delay in installing the necessary signs and infrastructure to protect our residents and young people.

"Does it require a death for Shropshire Council to give safety on Meole's school roads the urgency it deserves?"

There is only one School Street currently in the town - outside Coleham Primary School in Greyfriars Road. There is a 20mph limit in force and the road is closed at busy times in the morning and afternoon when children are arriving. It has been widely considered a successful move.

Shropshire Council has been contacted for comment.