Tenbury Wells Road Closures

There are a number of times in the next couple of months when Teme Street will be closed.

The Civic Parade (Usually from the library to St Mary's Church) Sunday 22nd October 10 minute closure between 9.40am and 10.15am.  Also 10 minute closure between 11am and 11.45am

Two Minutes Silence  Saturday 11th November 11am

Remembrance Day Parade Sunday 12th November 10 minute closure between 10.25am and 10.55am. Also 10 minute closure between 11.50am and 12.05pm.

Christmas Lights Ceremony 18th November 16.30pm to 17.30pm

Road Resurfacing. The official closure is 27th November to 1st December but the road should only be closed for one evening and night.  (I'll update when known)

Santa Parade Saturday 2nd December 16.30pm to 17.30pm

Tesco opens in Tenbury at last!

Some eight and a half years after the first soil samples were taken, the gleaming new Tesco store was opened this morning by the Tenbury Mayor, Mark Willis.

With Mark, is the Store Manager, Dave Ashton, representatives from the Adam Millichip Foundation and the Tenbury Town Band who each were donated cheques for £500, Lilly from Burford Primary who designed the shopping bags being presented today to shoppers, and various Tesco Managers and Customer Service Assistants.

The shop has been busy since it opened its doors at 8am this morning, and whilst the car park was often almost filled to capacity, there was a good turn over so (when I was there) there was no queuing.

A different kind of Christmas Lights for Tenbury

Once again our travelling lives are controlled by TTLs (Temporary Traffic Lights) and for probably the next four weeks.

The lights that arrived yesterday controlling traffic on the A456 and Teme Bridge are to allow works by Western Power.  The work is scheduled to last two weeks.  Once this work is complete (if it runs to schedule) they will immediately be replaced by more lights whilst contractors for Tesco make the changes to the junction to assist a better flow of traffic wishing to turn left onto the A456 towards Ludlow.

All work is scheduled to be completed by 2nd December and then no further road works are anticipated until the new year.

In other news the much promised and continuously delayed over-flow car park destined for Palmers Meadow, which should have been completed before the cattle market was closed is again promised to be finished by Christmas.

Public Realm - Shared Space - Tried & Tested

The public realm scheme for Tenbury is still limping along in the background.  Much of the delay is due to Tesco's delay in starting their project, but there is also no firm decision on the concept of shared space.

It would seem that many of the traders and the vocal public are against the concept.  I too have my doubts that such a scheme can be used on a relatively busy road.

However the video below, goes a long way to alleviating my doubts.  It's quite long, but worth watching to the end.
Let me know what you think.

Are shared surfaces the answer

Tenbury has waited a very long time for a make over.  Improvements to the road surface and the pavements have been discussed in various forums for years.  Unknown to most, battles have been going on behind the scenes to get the approval for the use of good quality materials, rather than using quick fix concrete.

So now finally, after many broken promises and force starts, the basic design information is in the public domain.

I have no knowledge of town planning or traffic calming and control, so it is difficult to argue from a position of knowledge, and all we can really do is put trust in those employed as experts.

From a layman's point of view, any scheme that reduces parking, and mixes vehicles and people doesn't feel right, and I do worry that if the graphic artist thinks Tenbury is served by London Black Cabs, how good was the brief!

2013 Not a happy new year

Tenbury welcomed in the new year in 2012 with a bridge closure that was to last 10 weeks. 

The new year 2013 will herald the arrival of Temporary Traffic Lights, controlling the traffic through the town for up to 16 weeks, as Ringway start to replace and repair the drainage system under Teme Street & Market Street.

Although there is a promise, that the lights will only be used when necessary, past experience is that the contractors will not only install the lights at the drop of a hat, they will leave them running 24 hours a day and over the weekend even if there is no work taking place.  Also, due to lack of training or just lack of care they won't be phased correctly to allow for the traffic flow, and the sensors will either be inoperative or wrongly focused so as to be ineffective.  Although work is scheduled to start at 9.30 am and end by 4pm we can look forward to queues back past the High School and past Kerry's!   I see a Ringway supervisor will be on site throughout the duration of the work, so hopefully they will prove me wrong.

No one can be in doubt that these repairs are necessary.  We have known of the damaged drains since at least 2007, and the summer stink at the bridge end of Teme Street reminds us the the foul sewer also serves as the rainwater drain at that end of town.

The promise of 16 weeks of queueing traffic and the noise from the road works is enough to put as many people, if not more, off from venturing into town, than the bridge closure in early 2012.

So far there has been no promise of any additional support for the town, no additional parking provision in response to the inevitable parking restrictions, in fact had it not been for the two "public" exhibitions and a leaflet through the door, it would have come as somewhat of a surprise to most.

Tenbury Advertiser

Co-op Bank take over of Tenbury Lloyds confirmed

The Co-operative Group has agreed terms with Lloyds Banking Group to buy 632 Lloyds TSB and Cheltenham and Gloucester branches including the branch in Teme Street Tenbury Wells.

The sale was demanded by European regulators after Lloyds bought HBOS during the financial crisis.

It is thought that existing customers will be given the choice of transferring their Lloyds account to another branch or convert to a Co-operative account.

Co-op were voted as the best current account provider 2011 by money supermarket.

Tenbury's Latest Video

Tenbury Wells gets two new water features.

Following the hours of torrential rain, field "run off" is once again swelling Kyre Brook.


Thanks to the work carried out by the Environment Agency, Kyre Brook is flowing much quicker than in recent times, however the drainage in Teme Street seems to be as inefficient as ever.