Traffic and road safety schemes

The consultation period is now closed, please use the following links to view the Consultation Summary and the Speed Cushion Location Plan:

• Download the Wombridge Road Speed Cushion Location Plan.
• Download the Wombridge Road Consultation Summary.

The installation of speed cushions has been driven by the community. The council have received numerous requests over the years to install some form of intervention in order to tackle the inappropriate speed of drivers using the route.

Traffic surveys carried out in 2019 and 2022 both showed the 85% of traffic speeds to be around 34mph.

This, coupled with a number of serious collisions in 2018, 2019 and 2022, a history of collisions at the junction near the Co-Op and the calls from the community, in 2022 the council carried out a wide scale consultation with a letter drop and a day-long community event at the parish council offices where two options were proposed.

The installation of speed cameras is a matter for West Mercia Police who have previously indicated that Wombridge Road does not meet the criteria for such an installation.

In addition to this, fixed speed cameras do not have a speed reducing effect along the whole route in the same way as the cushions are providing, with average speed cameras being reserved for high volume critical routes due to the very high cost in installation and ongoing operation.

Due to the limitations on what can technically be achieved on Wombridge Road, these options were:

• buildouts / chicanes, with priority give way
• speed cushions.

In processing the responses from the public consultation, it was clear that speed cushions were marginally the more favoured measure of the available options. We appreciate that not everyone was in favour of this option, however, there was a need to bring forward a scheme that mitigated the concerns being raised in relation to excess speed and safety whilst trying to find the right balance in terms of public opinion.

The aim of speed cushions of this nature is to space them in a way that vehicles maintain a lower speed throughout the extents of the scheme and discourage the sharp acceleration and braking that you may see with other forms of vertical traffic calming features.

Further to this, we appreciate the concerns in relation to vehicle damage, however we are not aware of any evidence that shows speed cushions cause any particular increase in wear and tear on a vehicle over and above normal everyday road use when driven over with the care and in accordance with the restrictions of the road.

The size and height or speed cushions are regulated to ensure they are fit for purpose and do not cause any unnecessary harm to vehicles or people but do encourage reduced vehicle speeds.

The features we have installed conform to these regulations in that they are a maximum of 75mm / 3 inches high in the middle, which is well below the minimum vertical clearance required for vehicles conforming to the legal requirements set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.

We will monitor the effects of any potential changes in traffic flows on surrounding routes as part of our normal post-scheme validation however we do not feel that significant volumes of traffic will divert on to Church Road or surrounding estate roads.

Significant investigations were undertaken in 2011, 2015 and again in 2017 in relation to concerns raised regarding unsuitable HGV usage, 'rat running', collisions and vehicular speeds along Horton Lane. 

Consultations on this complex situation have occurred during each of the aforementioned years. Unfortunately, on each occasion a consensus with residents of Horton Lane and the wider community was not reached, subsequently a scheme was not taken forward.

However, concerns continued to be raised by Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council and the Borough Councillors for Hadley and Leegomery on behalf of the residents of Horton Lane. 

In December 2020, Telford and Wrekin Council brought forward an experimental scheme to close Horton Lane at its junction with Hortonwood 60. This scheme involved a full signing review to ensure vehicles are given appropriate advanced warning of the restriction, and also installing a lockable gate which prohibits motor vehicles. 

Emergency vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists have been provided special access to Horton Lane through the gate where required.

The report outlines the results of the consultation and recommends a decision on whether the current restrictions should remain permanent or whether the Horton Lane (Prohibition of Motor Vehicle) Traffic Regulation Order 2022 be revoked. 

The report demonstrates that the experimental scheme has achieved its original aims, which were to remove rat running along Horton Lane and improve the amenity for local residents.

Objections were received that related to the increased travel distance and congestion on other routes rather than objections against the underlying principles of the lane closure itself.

Traffic data shows there has been a slight increase in traffic between Horton and Leegomery Roundabout. However, it should be noted that traffic volumes across all roads are increasing so an increased in traffic volume is to be expected over this period, according to the Department for Transport Road Traffic Statistics. Therefore, the increase in vehicle movements that may be associated with the closure of Horton Lane is negligible on the Humber Lane to Leegomery Roundabout route. 

A review of the revised journey distances for some of the key routes identified in the consultation demonstrates that there has been a marginal change in travel distance that is not considered to add substantially to journey times or distances.

The findings of the report recommend that the Permanent Traffic Regulation Order remains in place and with no further changes made to Horton Lane. To support this decision, as outlined in this report, improvements will be made to route between Humber Lane and Leegomery Roundabout by Autumn 2024 and further details will be provided in due course.

Download the Horton Lane decision report 2023