Council takes action to ensure Broseley and surrounding area is compensated following delays in roadworks

Broseley and the surrounding area will be compensated following months of traffic disruption, thanks to the efforts of local councillors and council officers.

Shropshire Council has been working closely with Broseley’s town mayor and local councillors to ensure residents in and around the area receive compensation for delays on the B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley.  The road was finally reopened to traffic in November 2013, following extensive work by National Grid to repair a gas main.

The project to repair the gas main was essential to maintain a safe gas supply in the area, and was led by National Grid, with Shropshire Council arranging diversion routes and traffic management.

Contractors working for National Grid unfortunately did not complete the scheme on schedule.  As a result of this, Shropshire Council’s traffic and permit team took action to ensure that section 74 over-run charges were enforced and collected, to compensate for the delay in completing the gas works.

The team have been working closely with local councillors to determine where best to spend the £100,000 compensation, which will now be reinvested in the highway network in the local area.  As a result, a list of selected sites have been proposed; these include:

• Merrywell Lane near Much Wenlock – carriageway resurfacing commencing from the junction of the A458 for an approximate distance of 300m
• B4376 Much Wenlock – carriageway resurfacing for an approximate distance of 300m towards The Marsh
• Cape Street, Broseley – carriageway resurfacing from junction of Barratt’s Hill to junction of Queen Street
• Barber Street, Broseley – carriageway and footway resurfacing from High Street to Birch Meadow
• B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley – carriageway patching from the junction of School Lane, Astley Abbotts towards Cross Lane Head
• B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley – carriageway resurfacing in Nordley, near to ex-public house The Swan
• Cross Lane Head to Astley Abbotts – minor carriageway and verge repairs
• Edinburgh Road Broseley – reinstatement of carriageway verges.

Claire Wild, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“We recognised the problems faced by residents of Broseley, Bridgnorth and Astley Abbotts who endured months of disruption whilst contractors working on behalf of National Grid completed their work.   Therefore we have tried to target the funding between the communities affected, but also targeted the worst sections of carriageway within these areas.”

Jean Jones, local Shropshire Councillor for Broseley, said:

“I have received a huge number of complaints about the condition of both Barber Street and Cape Street.  It is a great relief work will be completed during this financial year.”

Ian Pickles, Mayor of Broseley, added:

“This has been a really bad year for road closures affecting Broseley.  We have had endless closures.  It is great that at least we have these schemes as some compensation for all the problems caused.”

David Turner, local Shropshire Councillor for Much Wenlock, said:

“The majority of the B4373 closure was in Barrow parish, and I would like to pay tribute to the tolerance of local residents during this extended closure.  I am delighted that some of the money can be invested in resurfacing part of Merrywell Lane, which bore the brunt of the diversion.  Much Wenlock residents will also be pleased that work will be carried out on the Broseley road on the edge of the town.”

Christian Lea, a local Shropshire Councillor for Bridgnorth East and Astley Abbotts, said:

“The repairs and resurfacing works which are planned for the B4373 in Nordley and Cross Lane Head will be very much welcomed by local residents.”

It is anticipated the work for the proposed schemes will begin in late summer / early autumn 2014.