Villagers start petition to have Wrekin one-way system removed

Little Wenlock residents say the one-way system introduced in 2020 is unsafe and leading to unnecessary journeys.

Ercall Lane, which links Wrekin Forest Glen to Wellington, was made one-way by Telford & Wrekin Council which said it was introduced in part to tackle “unsafe” traffic and parking.

The £75,000 scheme was paid for using the Government's active travel scheme that was aimed to improve cycling and walking during the pandemic.

But last week, Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard wrote to Telford & Wrekin Council to ask it to cancel the one-way road system after saying the "scheme has been causing concern for many months”.

He branded the one-way system "dangerous" for both traffic and pedestrians because all vehicles, including HGVs and farm vehicles, now travel down Ercall Lane.

Now villagers near Ercall Lane have joined calls for the scheme to be abolished and have launched a petition to force the council to scrap the scheme.

Gareth Thomas, who started this petition, said: "The Wrekin one-way system was implemented without any consultation with local residents or visitors

"The one-way system has forced local residents to drive additional miles every day, causing a negative environmental impact, and has created a safety issue that never existed before.

"It's time to save the Wrekin from this trial scheme before it causes an accident, continues to damage the environment and causes any more issues for local residents."

Following its launch last week, the petition has been signed by more than 140 local residents.

Juliet Esp, who lives in Little Wenlock, says she has signed the petition because she now has to drive an extra mile every time she leaves her driveway.

She said: "I am very much affected by it. For three years now every time I back out of my drive I have to drive an extra mile, regardless of where I'm going.

"We also have this cycle lane with no cyclists on it and all the traffic now goes down Ercall Lane. We must see around 400 cars a day down the lane now.

"It is not just inconvenient for us, but the road is much more dangerous than it was before. If you are drive up there you are inches from car doors that could be opened or children stepping from behind cars.

"Before the one-way system Ercall Lane was quieter and much safer."

Telford & Wrekin Council has defended the scheme, arguing that since its implementation, the area has "seen a significant increase in cycling and walking in the area".

But it noted that travel patterns are still recovering due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw use of the road network change during the experimental period.

It confirmed that the review period for the one-way system has been extended to Summer 2023 and that a final decision on whether to maintain or revoke the scheme will be made during the summer.

Residents can still comment on the one-way system at telford.gov.uk/thewrekin

You can also view the petition to get the one-way system scrapped at change.org/p/remove-the-wrekin-one-way-system