Shrewsbury Meole Brace roundabout campaigners to hand over 4,500-name petition

Representatives of the "Stop the Meole Brace Roundabout Works" group will be handing over a petition with 4,500 signatures at Shropshire Council's full meeting on Thursday.

In a document which will accompany the petition the group claims that the changes could lead to greater congestion on the nearby roundabout at the entrance of Meole Brace Retail Park.

Instead they say that the money used for the project would be better used to improve the access to the retail park.

It states: "Many of the 4,500 plus who signed this petition did so because they value the island as a quality gateway to Shrewsbury, and value the trees and wildlife that have found sanctuary there.

"Many who signed this petition did so because over some 15 years or more this island has functioned well as a traffic management entity, and they consider that the Meole Retail Park access is a significant congestion problem and it is this that needs to be addressed."

The group is calling for the project to be halted while the concerns of petitioners are addressed.

They also claim that the initial response to the consultation over the plan was not reflective of the wider concerns.

It states: "The 239 responses from the consultation process were an inadequate representation of wider public views, compared with our petition of some 4,500 plus signatures which shows major concern regarding the proposals for the Meole Brace Island."

The matter will be discussed at the council meeting after the petition is handed over.

Shropshire Council has previously rejected criticisms of the plans, insisting claims of harm to wildlife are bogus and that the changes are needed for the roundabout to cope with the Shrewsbury South Sustainable Urban Extension, which will see more than 900 homes built in Oteley Road.

In a statement the authority said: "The work in Meole will ensure the roundabout continues to function after the vast development along Oteley Road is complete. Additional safety benefits will also be added, such as a dedicated foot and cycle route to prevent some of the numerous cycle accidents that have occurred, and to make it safer for football fans to visit the Greenhous Meadow or shoppers to visit the retail park, with additional signal-controlled crossings also being installed."

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, has said the work is vital for the future of the town.