Traffic havoc in summer

The United Utilities information caravan on the Lord Combermere car park yesterday afternoon saw concerned local retailers and residents arriving in good numbers. They wanted to hear about the planned sewer works in the centre of the village and how much disruption would result.

The bad news is that the work to connect the Moseley's Yard development to the main sewer running below the middle of Shropshire Street will be a sixteen week exercise. The good news is that the worst of the traffic impact should last about two weeks, starting on 29th June. This means there should be minimal disruption affecting the major summer events – Midsummer Music on the Park on 27th June and the Festival of Transport on 26th July.

It appears that despite the planning permission for the new development involving connection to the main sewer, since Moseley's Yard was completed the sewerage has been disposed of to the north of the site through an existing pipe. This was discovered a year ago by United Utilities and that has led now, a year on, to the planned work to connect the site properly to the main sewer.

The work will involve digging under the fire station's land and connecting to a newly built manhole above the sewer pipe in the middle of Shropshire Street. The work in the street itself will be the first to be undertaken and should last ten working days. This will almost certainly cause traffic chaos, particularly for heavy goods vehicles – indeed, it is unclear if the Irish Republic has been informed that its international trade, much of which seems to pass through Audlem, could be affected.

Compensation for businessesParking restrictions will be applied during the work. United Utilities confirmed that those businesses affected can submit claims for loss of profit resulting from the work to the utility. Concern was also expressed by some residents yesterday about the Copper Beech to the side of Moseley's Yard as the work appears to very near the tree's root system.

Discussions are still taking place with the Fire Service and it is unclear as yet if the fire tender will be able to operate entirely as normal during the work.

Road re-surfacing?The work will not result in the resurfacing of Shropshire Street but will create yet another trench across the road which is now in an extremely poor state since Moseley's Yard was built. It takes time for the road surface to settle after major work, we are told and, separately, the developers are being chased to carry out or pay for the road surfacing that should have taken place after the development was completed.

In the meantime, some visitors to the caravan received a soaking from passing vehicles as they approached along Shropshire Street with large puddles forming during yesterday's wet weather. With another trench to contend with, it seems the road will only get worse before it gets better.

United Utilities have promised to keep Audlem Online informed about developments and any changes to the current plans.

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