£3.6m Shifnal town centre enhancement to be completed soon

How the street scene is set to look on completion of the work, with improved high quality stone paving, new street furniture and a much more user friendly feel to the town centre.

The £3.6m scheme to improve and enhance Shifnal town centre is set to be completed in November [2022], meaning the town will be clear of work in the run-up to Christmas.

The work – being carried out by Shropshire Council and its contractors McPhillips – began on 6 September 2021.

The work will enhance the existing infrastructure by improving – and in some areas reducing – traffic flow, and creating a more pedestrian-friendly area.

Currently, work is focussing on clearing out what will be the open space areas, construction of new parking bays and clearance for the four new disabled bays outside Patons. There are old cellars that will require backfilling plus further works on the culvert.

New Christmas light posts and hanging baskets have been ordered along with Shifnal Town Council’s preferred choice of street furniture. As these are delivered, installation will take place in line with the construction progress on site and there are also a number of new benches that the Town Council have commissioned that are intended to reflect the heritage of Shifnal.

Dean Carroll, Cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said:

“I’m really pleased that work on this important scheme is nearing completion and barring unforeseen or unplanned events, is set to be finished in time for the lead-up to Christmas.

“I’m also pleased that, following  my visit to the site, the footpath that runs between Aston Street car park and Bradford Street will now be replaced with new drainage and an asphalt surface as part of the project.

“Once completed this scheme will greatly enhance Shifnal town centre, improve the flow of traffic, and give a significant boost to Shifnal, its businesses and its residents.”

The project is a ‘category A’ project in the current Shifnal Place Plan. The scheme has been subject to public consultation and public meetings, and has been approved by Shropshire Council, Shifnal Town Council and local councillors.

For more information and updates visit www.shropshire.gov.uk/shifnal

Further information

(1) Work being carried out as part of the scheme includes:

• Realigning and improving capacity at key town centre road junctions.
• Road resurfacing and 20mph limit in the town centre.
• Improving levels and widths of footway surfaces.
• Hard and soft landscaping.
• Tree planting.
• Improved town centre materials and colour palette.
• Improved street furniture, cycling provision and walking routes.

(2) As part of the design and intended outcomes for the project, Shropshire Council was required to apply to the Department for Transport for permission to remove vehicular access/rights on the open space areas and the now redundant, echelon parking. Several objections were received which needed detailed analysis and response. Additional questions and queries were raised by the objectors which were responded to, and the council successfully achieved DfT approval of our proposals.

This had an impact on the progress of works on site and combined with reinstating old cellars and replacing an old, damaged culvert, resulted in completion being forecast for November. We are not expecting any further issues to impact on progress, but we cannot be 100% certain until areas are excavated.