Waiting times at a busy junction in Much Wenlock are set to double

Concerns have been raised that plans for large-scale development should not go ahead until a solution is found to prevent a town’s road network being pushed to breaking point.

Much Wenlock could see a sharp increase in traffic at the already busy Gaskell Arms junction as a result of housing schemes planned for the town itself and surrounding areas in the coming years.

Waiting times at the five-arm junction, where Smithfield Road, High Street and the B4378 intersect with Victoria Road/Bridgnorth Road, are expected to double when 1,000 houses are built at the former Ironbridge Power Station site five miles away at Buildwas.

Meanwhile Much Wenlock is to see 200 new homes built under the targets set out in Shropshire Council’s new local plan, along with 80 in nearby Cressage. Further traffic pressure is expected as a result of the new housing target for Bridgnorth of 1,800 properties, of which more than 1,000 will form the proposed Tasley garden village.

The council’s cabinet agreed on Monday to send the latest draft of the plan out for its final round of public consultation, despite a plea from Councillor David Turner, who represents Much Wenlock, to hold back until a solution is found to alleviate the pressure on the town’s struggling road network.

Councillor Turner said the predicted increase in waiting times would cause “rat running” elsewhere in the town, a deterioration in air quality and make it even more difficult for pedestrians to cross the roads at the junction.

Much Wenlock currently serves a population of around 5,000 people living in the town itself and nearby villages and Councillor Turner said this “will at least double” as a result of the proposed developments.

Addressing cabinet members at the meeting, he asked: “Given that the developers of the Buildwas site haven’t in 12 months provided a workable solution for the highways challenges to the south of the site, and that officers don’t seem to have a solution to the difficulties, what will happen to the road network in and around Much Wenlock?

“How is it possible to reconcile (planning policy), which asserts that ‘Much Wenlock will have limited development that reflects its important service and employment centre role whilst retaining its historic character’ with a doubling of the population it serves?

“Would the portfolio holder agree that it would be better to stall the Much Wenlock proposals until far more is understood about the cumulative impact of other development? If not, why not?”

Councillor Robert Macey, portfolio holder for housing and strategic planning, said the Ironbridge Power Station developers had proposed highway mitigation works at the Much Wenlock junction which were “not currently acceptable to Shropshire Council”.

He said: “It is therefore the council’s intention to secure a section 106 highway contribution, that will help fund a feasibility study that will assess any cumulative impact on the Gaskell Arms junction and wider Much Wenlock area as a result of the proposed development at the former Ironbridge Power Station site, and other relevant developments proposed as part of the local plan review.

“It is not considered necessary to stall the progress of the local plan review.”

Councillor Turner said a feasibility study was “all very well” but would be of little use if it did not come up with a solution.