Wem High Street due to reopen
A road closure in the centre of Wem to allow essential gas works to be carried out is being removed – just in time for a special event this weekend.
Wales and West Utilities have been working under a road closure of the High Street since early February and are now nearing completion.
Works are scheduled to continue for another three to four weeks in the area and the full road closure on the main High Street will be removed as soon as possible this week, and in time for the Spring Market event at the Town Hall on Saturday 5 April 2014.
Wales & West Utilities have worked with the local community to minimise the disruption during these works by funding the provision for free car parking in the main Aston Street car park.
This will continue until the end of the scheme to ensure all shops and businesses along High Street and the surrounding areas are easily accessible.
Local councillors said Wem was very much “open for business”, and encouraged people to visit the town despite the road works.
Wem Shropshire Councillor, Chris Mellings, said:
“We know this work has to be done and is taking longer than expected but Wem remains very much open for business.
“We hope people will still come into Wem to take advantage of our great shops, cafes and services, and of course there is still free car parking.
“This weekend sees the fourth Spring Market in the town, which is a great local event and not to be missed. The organisers have been working very hard to make it the special event it is – we hope people will come along to support it and the other shops we have here in Wem.”
Fellow Wem Shropshire Councillor, Pauline Dee, added:
“I am so pleased that Wales & West Utilities have listened to the local councillors and community and have cleared the High Street so visitors and residents will be able to attend the very successful Spring Market and receive a warm welcome from the shops and local eateries.”
Wales & West Utilities issued the following statement:
“We are working in the High Street area of Wem to make sure that homes and businesses in the area continue to have a safe and reliable gas supply.
“We know that working in busy towns is disruptive for local people and visitors, and we have done our best to limit this inconvenience as much as possible.
“We have worked closely with the local authority and have funded the provision of free parking in the Aston Street car park to make sure that for local traders it is business as usual.
“To ensure the safety of road users, pedestrians and our work force, High Street and Leek Street are currently closed to traffic.
“The road closure on High Street will be removed to allow the town’s Spring Market event at the Town Hall on 5 April to proceed as planned. Leek Street will remain closed to road users, and temporary traffic lights will be in place on the junction of New Street and Aston Street. Access to New Street from High Street and Aston Street will be via a diversion route that will be clearly signposted.
“This work has been challenging, but is going well. We anticipate that we will be completing by the end of April, which is a month over schedule. Due to Wem’s long history as a market town, we have been working under an archaeological watching brief, which ensures extra care is taken during excavation. This means that we are replacing the pipes at a slower rate than we would do normally, but this is essential to protect an area of such historic importance.”
This scheme is part of the Wales & West Utilities’ 30-year replacement programme, across Wales and the south west of England, where old metal pipes within 30 metres of buildings are replaced, providing the community with new plastic alternatives that have a lifespan of more than 80 years.
