Welshpool wants answers over ‘Back Road’ confusion

Welshpool county and town councillors say they are completely in the dark over the confusion surrounding the five-week closure of Brook Street that was due to start last Monday.

Mains gas work is required on the stretch of road before it can be resurfaced, and at last night’s monthly full Town Council meeting it was clear that patience is running out after the road was still accessible.

“We were expecting it to be completely closed from the beginning of this week but it is not,” said County and Town Councillor, Richard Church.

“I notice that the traffic lights have been moved passed Jehu Road, but there is a concern of the inconvenience it will cause when they do completely close.

“It is not a county council decision, it is a gas company decision, but we all have to be aware of the problems it could cause.”

Fellow County Councillor, Graham Breeze, added: “I am as much in the dark as everyone else. They are running behind schedule with the digging up from the bottom of Bron-y-Buckley to Jehu Road which I think has caused the delay in actually closing the section they need to close. It has caused a lot of confusion but we are not getting any information.”

He added that local planners had looked at making Broad Street two-way whilst the ‘Back Road’ was closed, but “the Trunk Road Agency weren’t interested”.

But Cllr Phil Pritchard didn’t mince his words. “Like every other citizen in Welshpool I am sick and fed up of these traffic lights in Welshpool. If it was Brecon, Builth Wells or Llandrindod Wells, it would be done in a week. Why the hell are we putting up with this? It is not acceptable and why is it always this end?”

Both Cllrs Bill Rowell and Alison Davies shared their concerns about the work dragging into the holiday season with the latter stating: “This is a tourist town and it is going to be dreadful if we are in this position in six weeks.”

It was decided that the council would write to Powys County Council, the Trunk Road Agency and the gas company to share their concerns but Mayor, Cllr Phil Owen, warned: “Whether it is listened to is another matter!”