Emergency services to use gyratory cycle lane

Shropshire Council said it had worked with the county's fire and rescue service to ensure emergency vehicles can easily pass through a controversial gyratory system.

It comes after firefighters told the BBC they faced "unnecessarily" delays during emergency callouts, and traffic around Shrewsbury railway station at peak hours was slowing down response times while putting "immense" pressure on drivers.

The gyratory scheme involved turning two lanes of Castle Foregate into one lane so a cycle path and "floating" bus stop could be installed.

Now, the local authority has said the cycle lane is to be used as an emergency vehicle route when needed.

Alongside this, the council said it has been checking the position and clearance of the variable message sign to make sure it provides enough space for emergency vehicles.

Councillor Rob Wilson said: "I am pleased that by working together we have been able to identify a solution. Moving forwards this must be a key determining factor in Shropshire Council's decision making related to any future changes."

Simon Hardiman, chief fire officer for Shropshire, added: "A critical element of an emergency response is the ability to make safe and effective progress when travelling under blue light conditions through areas of high congestion.

"The use of the cycle lane for emergency vehicles has been assessed and is proving beneficial in reaching people when they need us the most."

More than 7,100 people have signed a petition calling for the road layout to be returned to how it was before construction began in 2023.

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