Shrewsbury Road: Locals fear Shropshire village could be “cut off” by 40-mile diversion taking over an hour

Annoyed drivers face a 40-mile detour over 60 minutes just to get around a 60 metre stretch of roadworks.

The diversion includes a gas-guzzling 40.8-mile (65.7km) circular trek through 18 towns and villages in the Shropshire countryside.

Locals in Cockshutt fear the diversion will cause a hike in their fuel costs and add to their daily commuting times.

It usually takes around ten minutes to drive from the village to Ellesmere or Shrewsbury but is likely to take more than an hour with the diversion.

Work will start on March 16 to lay cables along a 60m (196ft) stretch of road to allow homes and businesses to access super-fast broadband.

Road signs say the work will take one day but online the company has applied for six days of road closures to be enforced. 

Another road closure between 8am and 5pm will also come into effect for seven days from March 24.

Freedom Fibre are leading Project Gigabit in the area to boost internet connections across North Shropshire.

Locals have slammed the closures and demand to know why the work cannot be carried out at weekends and at night when the roads are less busy.

Retired engineer Loft Longhurst, 76, worries that the village will be cut in half thanks to the planned broadband works.

The grandfather-of-two, who lives in the village with his wife Barbara, said: “We have no idea what’s going on, we’ve had no input apart from what's on Facebook and what’s online. We’ve had no communication at all from Freedom Fibre, as per usual.

“It‘ll cause me problems if I go to Ellesmere or Shrewsbury, the whole village will be cut off until the village hall. They can’t say to us sorry you’ve got to drive a diverted 40 miles to get to your house, it’s ridiculous. 

“A few of us locals know some roads which we could try, but they are tiny and aren’t a guarantee. There are quite a few people who need to get to Shrewsbury for the hospital in the week and Ellesmere is where our main shopping supermarket is. We need food.

“My BT Wi-Fi hub is good as it is, I get enough broadband speed already. Where I am in the village it’s adequate, so I don't see the point.”

Michaela Batho, the landlady of the Woodcock Inn, said: “It’s our business that’s the problem, it’s smack in the middle of it, no one has been in touch to say the road is closed.

“Sunday is our busiest day because of the Sunday lunches, and that’s when they’re closing it, but we haven’t heard a single word from them (Freedom Fibre). I rang them the other day and I couldn't get hold of anyone. I had to go through the wrong department, he said he would take my details and get back to me.

“I’m lucky as I live in the village so I can walk to work. My friend who runs the pub with me lives in Shrewsbury, she has to drive in but doesn’t know how she’ll make it if it’s blocked off. We also get deliveries, but they aren’t going to do a 40-mile diversion, so we could be left without.

“It isn’t fair on us, we’re a struggling little country pub and they’re shutting our pub on the busiest day. There are not many jobs around here, we have a village shop run by one man and then us, so most people commute.”

Dean Bywater, 63, a handyman, says he relies on quick transport links to get to his customers.

The dad-of-two, who lives in the village with his wife Julie, said: “I work all over and I don't know if I can get to my jobs in the nearby towns and villages.

“I’m annoyed they put all these signs up and saying they shut all these roads. They don’t say if we can get to our houses. I can’t afford to do a 40-mile trip, it wouldn't be worth it for the money I make. 

“The Wi-Fi is fine as it is. I’m with BT and it’s pretty fast. If they put the new one in I can’t use it anyway, some say it’s good or just as rubbish.”

A Freedom Fibre spokesperson said: “Freedom Fibre is currently upgrading the internet connection in North Shropshire by rolling out full-fibre broadband. To support this essential infrastructure work, we will be carrying out necessary diversions along Shrewsbury Road from Sunday 16th March to Friday 21st March.

"During this period, the road will remain open with traffic light management, except on Sunday 16th March, when a temporary road closure will be in effect from 8am to 5pm. Access for residents and businesses will be maintained throughout the works, with every effort made to minimise disruption.”