New Wem road sign aims to put brakes on speeders

Residents have been calling for action to tackle traffic issues on Mill Street for months.

Now, Shropshire Council has said it will work with Wem Town Council to install a vehicle-activated sign.

Dave Gradwell, Shropshire Council's traffic engineer, said: "Shropshire Council has received a request from Wem Town Council to install a vehicle-activated sign on Mill Street, Wem, following concerns from local residents about speeding .

"I attended an initial site meeting with Wem's town clerk last week to look at possible locations.

"We agreed on a suggested location within the existing 20mph zone on the approach into Wem.

"However, the progression of this scheme will be subject to appropriate funding being made available, although Wem Town Council are looking to contribute funding towards this."

The location and type of sign will be discussed at a meeting of Wem Town Council held in Edinburgh House on Thursday at 7pm.

John Hand, of Mill Street, previously said residents had already waited a long time for action – and that there had been near misses involving pedestrians near his property.

He said: "There have been numerous incidents between pedestrians and vehicles on Mill Street within the 20mph zone.

"These include people getting struck by speeding vehicles on the narrow pavement and a more serious injury to a young boy who was hit by a Ford Focus car."

Last year an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) traffic survey was carried out in response to problems with speeding traffic and HGVs using the town centre's narrow roads and causing damage to buildings and walls.

The results revealed there are relatively low numbers of lorries in relation to overall traffic flow through the town.

The automatic number plate recognition traffic survey was carried out between 7am and 7pm, from June 29 to July 1.

As well as Mill Street and High Street, locations included the A41 at Tilstock Road, the A49 at Prees Green, the A528 at Harmer Hill, and the B5065 between Church Lane and the entrance to Wem Industrial Estate.

It was conducted in response to concerns from local residents about the presence of large vehicles in Wem town centre, particularly in Mill Street and High Street.

Shropshire Council is now considering a list of other solutions.

These include creating a loading bay outside NatWest, reviewing HGV signs in the town and surrounding areas, looking into a lighting system similar to Much Wenlock, considering whether a one-way system is suitable, and looking at a relief road.

Also being discussed at the meeting on Thursday is an update on speedwatch and councillors will consider a grant application for Armed Forces Day. Councillors will also discuss correspondence from Royal Mail following another attempt to remove Shrewsbury from postal addresses.