Bridgnorth Future Connectivity Plan

Proposal

Introduction and overview

We're engaging with the community on a number of forward-thinking transport, public space and connectivity proposals for Bridgnorth. We're inviting local residents to comment on which of the ideas they'd like to see come forward. Proposals for Bridgnorth include a new town centre multi-storey car park, a new junction from the A458 to provide direct access to the Oldbury Wells schools, and improvements to the public realm (ie any space that's free and open to anyone), and specifically the environment on the High Street.

The proposals have been prepared following extensive data analysis, site assessments and engagement with council officers, local councillors and town councils. Proposals that will improve local transport, enhance quality of place, support local health and wellbeing, and strengthen the local and wider regional economy, are being considered.

The proposals are being launched as part of a public engagement exercise, the outcomes of which will be critical in helping to develop a ‘future connectivity plan' for Bridgnorth. Whilst there's currently no budget available to take the identified schemes forward, the final future connectivity plans will assist us in trying to secure external scheme funding from The Marches LEP, government and the private sector to help make Shropshire a better place to live, work and visit.

To secure funding, any proposals first need to have public backing. We're therefore asking you for your thoughts before any further development work is carried out, and before possible sources of scheme funding are explored.

Why is investment needed?

From a transport, access and connectivity perspective, key challenges facing Bridgnorth now, and in the future, include the following:

• There's significant through traffic travelling through the town centre causing congestion and poor air quality
• There's limited green space infrastructure and facilities around the town centre, and existing assets such as Castle Grounds feel hidden
• The town's River Severn waterside frontage is an underused asset
• Current bus infrastructure and waiting facilities are dated and need to be improved to enhance passenger experience when travelling by bus
• The High Street is dominated by car parking and bus layover throughout the day, preventing increased animation of space
• Existing active travel infrastructure needs to be upgraded to support sustainable travel movements and high-quality pedestrian circuits around the town centre

Vision and objectives

Key challenges identified for Bridgnorth have been used to inform a holistic, long term vision and series of objectives for transport in Bridgnorth over the next ten years. These also reflect the strategic themes of local and regional transport and planning policy. The vision for Bridgnorth is as follows:  

Bridgnorth is an attractive and charming market town with significant potential for change. The aspiration is to build on the town's unique assets and deliver a series of transport interventions and public realm improvements over the next ten years to establish Bridgnorth as the destination of choice in Shropshire.

To achieve this vision, the following objectives have been identified:

1. Creating public spaces: elevate a sense of place and create a destination experience at the heart of Bridgnorth town centre by creating a pedestrian-led environment supported by a series of pedestrianised public spaces, enhanced public realm and attractive green spaces.
2. Improving active travel: improve the attractiveness and safety of walking and cycling in Bridgnorth to improve access to employment, education and services, and assist in meeting air quality and public health targets.
3. Enhancing public transport: enhance Bridgnorth's public transport provision to provide convenient, regular and accessible services which permeate the town centre without detracting from overall quality of the environment.
4. Consolidating car parking: re-evaluate the relationship between Bridgnorth town centre and car parking provision.
5. Improving air quality: reduce levels of through traffic and congestion in Bridgnorth town centre to support improved air quality and public health.

Developing solutions

A draft long list of schemes has been identified, with early design work taking place on a number of these schemes to articulate how the schemes could come forward. Proposed investments are split over a number of key themes as follows:

• Road network
• Public space and movement
• Car parking
• Active travel
• Public transport

The following sections summarise the details of some of the key schemes and opportunities identified. Full versions of the scheme plans shown below are available via the links at the bottom of this page.

New A458 junction

This scheme would deliver a new junction on the A458 southern bypass to provide direct access to the Oldbury Wells School. This would improve access to the school for pupils and staff and help relieve congestion in the town centre at school drop off and pick up times.  

High Street public realm and pedestrianisation

The High Street is dominated by vehicular traffic throughout the day, preventing animation of space in the heart of the town centre. This scheme would deliver public realm improvements on High Street and Whitburn Street, and implement a phased pedestrianisation scheme along High Street to create an enhanced destination experience for Bridgnorth town centre.

The proposed phases of the High Street pedestrianisation scheme are:

• Phase One: full pedestrianisation between Cliff Road and Whitburn Street. This would allow a civic town square to be created where greenery and benches could be used amongst water features to present an active public space in the heart of the town centre.
• Phase Two: part pedestrianisation between Whitburn Street and St Mary's Street. This would involve resurfacing the street using materials which reflect shared use between pedestrians and private vehicles in addition to creating flushed surfaces. To support these design improvements, all but essential parking on the High Street would be removed and access restricted to local residents, servicing and public transport and taxi drop off only.
• Phase Three: full pedestrianisation between St Mary's Street and Listley Street. This would create a new traffic-free active space on the High Street which could be used for outdoor leisure and seasonal events throughout the year.

Car parking

To support the proposed public realm improvements and to facilitate enhanced sense of place and destination on the High Street, all but essential parking and access would need to be removed and rationalised. We propose to deliver a new multi-storey car park (MSCP) in High Town in the short term, and a subsequent MSCP in Low Town to consolidate parking facilities in the right places and improve car park efficiency in the town centre.

As reflected in the image below, a recently completed Bridgnorth parking study explored the potential for a number of sites in the town centre to accommodate an attractive new MSCP. This study identified sites on the Old Smithfield corridor as having the most potential to support an MSCP for High Town, and identified the existing Severn Street Car Park site as the most appropriate site for a Low Town MSCP.

Active travel enhancements

To encourage greater walking and cycling movements in Bridgnorth, this scheme would deliver a series of active travel improvements around the town centre. These include:

• Delivery of segregated cycling provision along Cann Hall Road and Underhill Street to support safer active travel movements between Low and High Town
• Delivery of a new active travel bridge across the river, either to the north of Bridge Street or extending the existing bridge from Low Town to High Town via the Bowling Club bylet to provide an additional walking and cycling link

Public transport

To support sustainable travel movements and encourage greater public transport patronage in Bridgnorth, this scheme proposes to deliver a series of shorter and longer term public transport interventions for the town. These include:

• Park and ride scheme connecting from Tasley into the town centre
• Improvements to bus stop infrastructure and waiting facilities
• Implementation of an electric town centre hopper bus
• Delivery of a new funicular - this would likely connect the Severn Valley Railway to Castle Gardens via the footway bridge over Hollybush Road
• Reinstatement of passenger railway services - this would be achieved through delivering a new central station in Bridgnorth town centre and a further inceptor station, to the north of the town, connecting to Telford in the shorter term and in the longer term to Shrewsbury and Chester

The next steps in the process are as follows:

• We'll review all the comments and suggestions submitted as part of the public consultation once it has closed.

• We'll incorporate your feedback and prepare a final Bridgnorth Future Connectivity Plan, which will then be released into the public domain.

To have your say, just click on the 'How to get involved' tab towards the top of this page.