The Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Shropshire Council met on Thursday 2 July 2026 to discuss a range of issues including waste collection disruptions, the review of the highways maintenance strategy, and the ongoing challenges with the Station Gyratory scheme in Shrewsbury. Key decisions included the agreement to explore two potential options for the Station Gyratory: reverting to two lanes of traffic or changing the cycleway to a shared bus, taxi, and cycle lane, with a view to presenting these to Cabinet. The committee also reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year, identifying several new areas for scrutiny.

Waste Collection Disruptions

Councillor Sam Walmsley, Councillor for Clun Division and Vice-Chair of the Committee, raised concerns about waste collection disruptions affecting rural residents. He highlighted that some residents have been forced to wheel their bins several hundred metres for collection for over seven months because the waste collection contractor, Veolia, deems the road to their properties unsafe, despite Shropshire Council Highways assessing the road as safe. Councillor Walmsley questioned how many properties are affected and when a new process will be implemented to resolve such issues within a reasonable timeframe.

In response, officers stated that 16 properties on adopted lanes and 15 on unadopted lanes are experiencing similar temporary collection point changes. A new process is being developed with Veolia and the highways team, involving joint site visits to find solutions. However, it was noted that this may require unbudgeted maintenance, potentially delaying swift resolutions.

Review of Highways Maintenance Strategy and Highways Inspection Policy

Andy Wilde, Service Director for Infrastructure, provided a verbal update on the review of the highways maintenance strategy and inspection policy. He explained that the strategy needs to be aligned with the new corporate plan and the Department for Transport's (DfT) updated funding criteria, which now heavily incentivises councils to demonstrate robust asset management and inspection strategies. The DfT's new guidance requires councils to evidence that their strategies are reviewed, have political support, and are geared towards meeting stipulated priorities.

Councillor Chris Naylor raised the point of exploring capital investments that could reduce long-term revenue maintenance costs. Mr. Wilde confirmed that the upcoming session would cover such options, with a particular focus on preventative maintenance, which the DfT is keen to see a significant portion of the budget allocated to. The committee agreed to discuss this further at a dedicated meeting in September.

Station Gyratory Scheme

The committee received updates on the Station Gyratory scheme in Shrewsbury, addressing both a six-month follow-up of actions against previous recommendations and a verbal update from the Station Gyratory Task and Finish Group.

Six-Month Follow-Up of Actions: Tim Pritchard, Chief Programme Manager, presented a briefing note summarising progress on recommendations made in December 2025. Key points included the completion of a safety audit and ongoing work to implement its recommendations. Dialogue with scrutiny has continued regarding available options, with the intention of taking recommendations to Cabinet. Areas of contention, such as the floating bus stop and the usage of the cycle route, were highlighted.

Task and Finish Group Verbal Update: Councillor Ed Potter, Chair of the Committee and the Station Gyratory Task and Finish Group, presented six recommendations for Cabinet consideration. These included:

1. Continuing the delivery of road safety audit recommendations.
2. Exploring configuration changes to the bus stop and cycleway, including alternative designs.
3. Specifically, further exploration of reverting to two lanes of traffic (Option 3 from the LUF 2 Stage 3 Gyratory Project Conclusion Operations Document) and comparing this with changing the cycleway to a shared bus, taxi, and cycle lane (Option 2).
4. Clarifying ground conditions and potential grant clawback risks through engagement with the funder.
5. Highlighting the need for a stronger evidence base, including traffic modelling and cycle usage data.
6. The Task and Finish Group continuing to operate as an advisory group.

During the discussion, concerns were raised about the potential for grant clawback, with officers currently considering the risk to be low. Councillor Brendan Mallon raised issues regarding the quality of workmanship, including blocked drainage grates and the surfacing of footpaths, which he felt were not adequately addressed. Councillor Gary Groves noted similar issues with blocked drains in other areas of the county.

The effectiveness of the current cycle lane was questioned, with data presented showing a decrease in two-wheeled vehicle and pedestrian usage compared to the previous year. Councillor Ben Jepcott expressed disappointment that the impact of opening Ellesmere Road to heavy goods vehicles had not been addressed and that the current cycle lane was not a finished article, lacking connectivity.

Councillor Rob Wilson, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Regeneration, acknowledged the public interest and the diligent work of the committee. He highlighted the importance of emergency vehicle access, noting that discussions with the Chief Fire Officer had led to approval for fire engines to use the cycle lane under dynamic risk assessment. He also mentioned the ongoing efforts to improve air quality along Castle Foregate.

The committee unanimously agreed to recommend these six recommendations, focusing on exploring options 2 and 3 for the Station Gyratory, to Cabinet for their consideration.

Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for 2026-2027. Key upcoming items include:

• Highways Contract Review: A Task and Finish Group is being established.
• Pyrolysis: A decision will be made on whether to address this as a Task and Finish Group or a whole committee, with scoping meetings planned.
• Licensing: A rapid Task and Finish Group is being considered.
• North West Relief Road: A Task and Finish Group will examine the impact of its cancellation.
• Riverside Development: An all-member briefing and site visit are scheduled for mid-July.
• Library Services: A report will be presented to the committee in the autumn.
• Flooding: An overview and informative session is planned for November.
• Inclusive Growth Strategy: A report is expected in January 2027.

The committee also noted that topics such as Traveller Sites and School Streets, initially raised, would likely be handled by the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee or require further clarification.

The committee agreed to share the workload for upcoming tasks, with Councillor Walmsley potentially taking forward the Highways Contract review, and Councillor Ritchie-Simmons leading on Pyrolysis.