£1 million cycle plan for Shrewsbury slammed

Plans for a £1 million cycling scheme in Shrewsbury have been criticised by local councillors.

A number of proposals have been put forward to improve cycling and walking routes including a new promenade along the River Severn in the town centre, toucan crossings across Welsh Bridge and Smithfield Road, and cycle lane links.

But according to the Shropshire Star plans under the Sustrans: Connect 2 scheme to turn Victoria Quay into a one-way system have been criticised by members of Shrewsbury Town Council.

They say it will be impossible for lorries to get out of The Quarry. Shropshire Council is running the scheme in Shrewsbury.

Councillor Jon Tandy, who sits on the authority’s recreation and leisure committee, said an urgent rethink was needed.

He said: “As part of the new cycle network they want to make massive changes to that junction by making it more cycle and pedestrian friendly.

“Our main concern was actually that it would curtail what we could do in The Quarry. It would certainly cause a lot of problems because you won’t be able to get in and out of there with big lorries if it is made one-way.

“They will be forced to go along past the swimming baths and out on to Claremont Bank and they will get stuck.”

He said the authority had been told by Shropshire Council that special exemptions could be used for special events like the Flower Show, so that Victoria Quay could be used both ways.

But he said members of the committee thought that would be pointless as they would still be forced to pay for road closures and a police escort.

He said they also feared that the provision of an exemption clause for vehicle traffic from The Quarry would increase rather than reduce the conflict between pedestrians and vehicles.