£1.5 million boost for Shropshire highways projects

A £1.5 million boost to highways and road safety schemes across the county has been announced by Shropshire Council.

A range of more than 30 schemes in all corners of the county have been given a financial boost through the Community Infrastructure Levy scheme (CIL).

The money has come from developers who have been given planning permission for housing schemes, and will assist and go directly into upgrading roads and highways projects countywide.

One of the biggest schemes to have been given approval is a £225,000 HGV management project and highways safety improvements in Ruyton-XI-Towns, near Oswestry. There has been a safety concern around the lorries using the village to avoid the A5 for several years and the highways upgrade bids to solve the issue.

A total of 34 projects totalling almost £1.5 million have been given funding, spanning the length and breadth of the whole county. Some of these projects can be delivered immediately, and some will need to be planned and consulted upon over the next year or so

Footway schemes amounting £145,000 have been given the go ahead in Church Stretton and Cleobury Mortimer; £140,000 has been approved for speed reduction or safety schemes in Ellesmere, Highley and Wem; £184,000 has been earmarked for crossing schemes in Ludlow, Market Drayton and Shrewsbury; while £143,000 has been approved for cycle routes in Shrewsbury.

Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, place planning and regulatory services, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to be able to approve more than a million pound of funding towards vital highways schemes the length and breadth of Shropshire.

“Some really important schemes have been funded here by money that has come from developers via the Community Infrastructure Levy, and supports some of the issues that development has caused in our towns and villages.

“These are schemes which will meet the demand from where housing developments have taken place. These schemes are just from the highways section of funding applications that have been submitted for this year, and the schemes have been identified from our local communities in our local Place Plans.

“We are really focussed on making our roads safer and greener, and these schemes will help with that. This is a further example of us listening to communities about what they want to happen in their area.

“To approve six cycle schemes in Shrewsbury alone is a major step towards what we are hoping to achieve. We had so many worthy schemes put forward and it is great to be able to give so many approvals.”

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, added:

“I’m really pleased we can utilise funding from housing development to support key improvement in our towns and villages. I’m sure over time that this scheme will improve all aspects of our local communities.”

Other projects given approval include:

• £100,000 for work to an improved or remodelled roundabout at the Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing development off Bridgnorth Road, Broseley
• £30,000 to draw up two assessment and designs to improvements in Bishop’s Castle
• £30,000 for a Bridgnorth town traffic feasibility study
• £85,000 for A49 and B5477 highways improvements in Church Stretton
• £20,000 for the design of highway improvements on the B455 in Highley
• £40,000 to improve access for pedestrians and vehicles in Market Drayton town centre
• £40,000 for the Oswestry Town Sustainable Transport Plan.

We will be liaising and engaging with our communities as we move forward. Some schemes are ready for delivery, and some schemes need to be developed and consulted locally, as there is still a requirement to follow national guidance or legislation when developing and constructing schemes, to ensure the benefits that our communities desire can be achieved.