Tenbury Closed for 6 months

At last nights Tenbury Town Council Meeting a representative from Worcester County Council delivered the devastating news, that the repairs to the wall in Market Street could not start until April at the earliest and would take at least six months to complete.

During this time, temporary traffic lights would be in operation and for some periods the road would be completely shut.
This news was met with complete condemnation and derision, from the full Council and members of the public alike.

The designer of the wall from Halcrow explained that they planned to build a brick faced, solid concrete wall 5' high. Pipes would be installed in the wall to allow any water to escape from the road into the brook, but non return valves would prevent water flowing from the brook into the road.

From the experience of a few days of traffic control earlier in the year when traffic queued back past the High School in the St Michaels direction and the Aspire Centre in the Ludlow direction, six months of control is likely to devastate the towns traders and drive residents to distraction.
My previous blog on this issue http://tenburywells.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-traffic-chaos-in-planning.html

It must be remembered that this problem was initially caused by poor planning and drains maintenance, even the pipes in the original wall were blocked. It was further exacerbated, by the way the toilets were demolished.

The Town Council delivered a very strong message that the plans were not acceptable and have asked the Project Team to think again.

Suggestions that I have received so far are:-

• Traders should be given Business Rate relief for the period of disruption as Trade will be affected as the Town WILL be gridlocked and be a regular feature on all traffic reports thus driving away many potential visitors.


• Diversion signs should start on the A49 just outside Leominster and on the A44 at Bromyard.


• The works schedule should be published and suitable gaps be left for delivery lorries.


• Any temporary traffic lights should be correctly installed with sensor phasing so that no green phases are offered to empty roads.


• The lights should only be used when work is in progress and removed at nights and at week end.


• Manual control should be implemented during the morning and evening peak periods.

Shropshire Star