Residents up in arms over Shifnal roadworks

Coppice Green Lane in Shifnal closed on Monday and will remain closed for 24 hours a day until September.

Idsall School is on the road and the closure will last way beyond the school holidays.

Residents have now written to Shropshire Council about the closure, saying they were given just two days notice that the work would be going ahead.

The council says the work is to locally widen the road to enable two large vehicles to pass one another without having to ride up on the footway.

It says it has become an issue as the pith is used by both school children to Idsall School and pedestrians walking from a new housing estate built further up the road into town.

The road and footway will be moved over and there are the associated works that go with this.

It says that the works will extend beyond the six week school holidays and may well continue into October but that it won’t know the full timescale until further into the scheme as there are public utilities apparatus that need moving and timescales are difficult to pin down.

There will be a total road closure for a length of road however there are no properties along this section so all residents can gain access to properties from using the signed diversion route.

Pedestrian access will be maintained through the closure and the council is working to try and lift the closure off as quickly as possible.

When the school buses return in September, they will be shepherded through the closure to ensure minimum disruption but no other traffic.

But residents on Aston Court Mews have said they are unhappy with the work, asking why they were given only short notice that the works were going to go ahead, claiming the diversion route is unsuitable and raising concerns about the volume of traffic being diverted.

The letter says: “The residents of Aston Court Mews wish to formally complain about the proposed road closure of Coppice Green Lane from Aston Court Mews to Curriers Lane and the diversion route along Coppice Green Lane to Nanny Murphy’s Lane.”

“Residents received only two working days’ notice of the proposed road closure. We understand that the project was only signed off by the council on July 20 with the work due to commence on July 24. It must, therefore, be assumed that there has clearly been no time to thoroughly assess the suitability of the proposed diversion and undertake a risk assessment or, indeed, give serious consideration to other alternatives. If that is not the case, then there is absolutely no reason why we could not have been informed earlier.

“Residents wish to be assured that it is necessary to undertake as much work as is planned. Buses only meet each other between the south entrance to Idsall School and Curriers Lane. The road could be widened sufficiently in this section by simply removing the kerb on the east side of Coppice Green Lane which has never been completed as a pavement and is currently overgrown with weeds.

“It is less than a year since similar works were undertaken at great inconvenience to all residents.”

Councillor Steve Davenport, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Shropshire Council is aware of a number of issues relating to the works on Coppice Green Lane and the various concerns of local residents. The works are of an urgent nature due to pedestrian safety concerns and must therefore be carried out.” during the school summer holidays for the minimum impact to all. There have been many problems to overcome before a final decision could be made last week in order to expedite the works as soon as possible.

“The signed diversion route is the best alternative for minimum inconvenience during the works. It is appreciated that this is a rural lane that must be driven with caution with the increase in vehicular traffic. However we are working with both our consultants and contractor to ensure the closure periods are kept to a minimum and will reopen the carriageway when possible. The total closure of the road is necessary to protect the workforce and provide adequate working space which could not be achieved using alternative traffic management. Access will be provided at all times for emergency vehicles on call.

“The removal of the hedgerow and wildlife is being carried out legally and with the appropriate licences in place and an alternative hedgerow is being planted within the school site to replace the one that will be lost.”