Petition over road closure amid fears of 'mayhem' and impact on business

The length of Shay Lane, in Forton, near Newport, from Eccleshall Road (A519) to Wharf Road, Adbaston, is closed in order for the temporary repair of a collapsed culvert.

A notice from Staffordshire County Council says the work could technically go on until April 2024.

Residents and motorists have been left frustrated by the closure. A written petition, with more than 600 names, along with an online one including 200, has been delivered to county councillor Mark Winnington calling for the closure to be looked at.

There are concerns the road closure will have an impact on businesses as well as causing issues on country lanes, where traffic, including heavy vehicles, will diverted to, and which residents say are in need of repairs.

The petition was launched by Ben and Clare Gilg, who say the closure needs to be reassessed, with calls for a timeframe on starting and finishing the work to be given, as well as looking into the possibility of restricted opening of the road, with traffic management in place.

The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of High Offley Parish Council, which takes place at 7.30pm on Thursday at Woodseaves Village Hall.

"We don't know if the work will start in a week or 17 months and one week," said Mr Gilg. "There is a lot of concern and several issues over this."

"We have had more than 400 motorists sign the petition which shows how many vehicles have been inconvenienced by this closure in a very short period of time.

"The vast majority of those signatures were collected in a 10-day period, just three or four hours at a time so it was by no means was it an extensive petition signing.

"Since its closure there has been mayhem around diversion routes, with all vehicles vying for room on the roads. What this situation will be like in the winter is beyond comprehension.

"It's a significant road, busy and a lot of businesses and industries rely on Shay Lane to where they need to get to.

"They are now likely to be incurring extra costs over and above the rising cost of living while residents are incurring extra costs with miles covered and extra depreciation to their vehicles due to poor conditions of the surrounding lanes.

"Diversions mean people are having to use narrower roads and I fear there could be accidents moving forward. We appreciate it has got to be fixed but there's no timescale on it."

Another concerned resident, Natalie Westoll, added: "My worry is that, with diversions, other roads having to be used by heavy goods vehicles will probably be damaged in the process."

Staffordshire County Council has been approached for a comment.

A prohibition of traffic order from Staffordshire County Council says: "Being the highway authority for Shay Lane, in Forton, we are satisfied that the traffic on the said road in the Borough of Stafford should be restricted by reason of works in connection with collapsed culvert repair works, being executed or proposed to be executed therein."

The council says an alternative route for traffic is available via Eccleshall Road, Newport Road, Horsefair, Stafford Street, High Street, Church Street, Kerry Lane, Garmelow Lane, Doley Road, Main Road, Wharf Road and vice versa.

For more information, visit: https://one.network/?tm=130965578.