Shropshire Council responds to criticism over Meole Brace Roundabout work
Shropshire Council has responded to criticism over planned work at Shrewsbury's Meole Brace Roundabout which is due to begin on Monday.
Last week we published an article on the work, which the council says is essential to the infrastructure of Shrewsbury. The article is our most read this month and generated many comments on social media opposing the plans. A petition created by a local resident to try and stop the works has received almost 4,000 signatures.
Today, Shropshire Council issued the following statement:
As a council, we have teams of people looking to the future of our county. These teams are equipped with a variety of skills; whether they be experts in planning, road systems or structural engineers, they work together to ensure the infrastructure of our county is fit for purpose and will remain fit for purpose for the foreseeable future and beyond.
The work proposed on the Meole Roundabout is an important part of the Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package (SITP), which has been designed to improve access to the town, make it a safer and more appealing place to visit or do business, whilst also reducing pollution levels.
The work in Meole will ensure the roundabout continues to function after the vast development along Oteley Road is complete, and with the predicted additional users of the route. 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 Meadow or shoppers to visit the retail park, with additional signal-controlled crossings also being installed.
It is important to note that the plans clearly show that many of the trees will be, “retained as part of landscaping proposals”. The work has even been scheduled to ensure that any birds’ nests found (although there were no signs of these during the Habitat Survey) can be moved safely and responsibly in January 2016, before the work starts again.
The petition’s specific point about rabbits and hedgehogs is acknowledged, and those with concerns can rest assured that all wildlife will be rehoused, and consideration has been taken to protect any animals who may be dwelling on the site, although none were found during the search. To address the concerns about Mouchel, it is important to note that they are privately-owned and independent consultant engineers who work on behalf of Shropshire Council.
Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transportation, said:
“It is frustrating that this petition challenges my commitment to the people of Shropshire, as my team and I work incredibly hard to deliver a positive and effective infrastructure. This work is crucial to meet current and future demands on Shrewsbury’s roads and the surrounding area.
“As previously stated, this work is being undertaken at no cost to Shropshire Council, with the funds coming from the Marches Local Enterprise Fund and required contributions from developers. If this work was were not carried out, in four or five years we would be facing criticism for not doing something sooner, and I’m entirely confident that this work is both justified and crucial for the town.
“It is important to stress that without this work the roundabout will become overloaded. The wider project this piece of work forms part of will deliver the infrastructure Shrewsbury needs to continue to be a wonderful place to live, visit and do business for generations to come.”
Shropshire Council say that a full consultation has taken place and all the work is fully compliant.
The work to be carried out in the coming months is only to move some of the utilities, and will not see any changes to the trees nor any of the areas the petition objects to.
