Shropshire Star comment: Centre of town still suffering

For too long, the most important shopping street in Shropshire has been a mess of sand, cement, loose bricks, wire fencing and plastic.

Plans to breathe new life in Shrewsbury have become a running joke beset by problems.

And businesses facing difficult times are the ones paying the price as they lose trade with customers staying away rather than venturing out. There are times when it feels as though it would be more appropriate to take a hard hat than a shopping bag when visiting Pride Hill and it is good Shropshire Council has taken decisive action.

It is bringing in a new contractor, having decided it will not continue to work with the existing firm once its contract expires.

There are no excuses for the mess. Shropshire Council is investing in improvements to Shrewsbury and while other aspects have been problematic and have caused disruption, nothing seems quite so bad as Pride Hill.

Disgust

Senior figures have talked of their disgust and spoken publicly about the negative impact that the Pride Hill scheme has had. It has damaged the town’s reputation and heavily impacted local businesses in a negative way.

Given the challenges facing the high street, the disruption could hardly have come at a worse time.

Indeed, Shropshire Council’s leader, Peter Nutting, has himself said: “I have had hundreds of complaints ... the disruption has been a problem and the work could have been done in a way that would not have disrupted the town to the extent it has.”

Now is the time for cool heads to steer Shrewsbury through the current crisis. Traders should be given guarantees that every effort will be made to ensure the busy Christmas shopping period is unaffected.

Those who oversee and manage the project must do more, they should be accountable to the public, their actions must be more closely monitored.

It is unacceptable a scheme designed to bring prosperity and improved trading conditions should have led to precisely the reverse. Jobs depend on the ability to trade freely – and shop keepers have been unable to do that. This situation must be resolved.