PLANS to suspend new community-led road safety projects have been met with strong concerns.

Oswestry town councillors have questioned why Shropshire Council has suspended the policy that allows the public to suggest potential road safety schemes.

Steven Brown – Shropshire Council’s highways, transport and environment manager - said in a letter that the department’s budget had been cut by £5m for the next two financial years, which had an impact on funds available for works.

Cllr John Price told the town council’s development and planning committee that, with several developments in the Oswestry East ward, that it would be a “recipe for disaster” is provision was not made for road safety or revamping the roads.

Cllr Clare Aspinall pointed out that £20m was being spent on Shirehall but the transport budget was being cut by £5m.

The scheme allows town and parish councils to submit public concerns for consideration by Shropshire Council.

Mr Brown said in the letter that the community-led road safety schemes are entirely funded from the Integrated Transport Block capital grant from the Department of Transport.

The priority for this grant, he said, was to fund statutory functions in relation to introducing measures that reduce the risk of road traffic accidents at defined high priority sites.

It must also cover other transport improvements such at strategic initiatives, traffic signal enhancements, sustainable transport and bus shelter grants.

The focus of integrated transport programme would continue to be accident cluster site schemes and safety reviews.

Mr Brown added that submission of new community-led road safety schemes from town and parish council would be put on hold until a budget review in 2020.

He said: “A number of existing community-led concern schemes have already had to be put on hold, leaving a significant list of pipeline schemes.

“It is therefore anticipated that Shropshire Council will be unable to progress with the development of new community-led concerns.”

Cllr Mike Isherwood said that the only good thing about the announcement was that it removed the “charade that they’re interested in community-led schemes”.

The letter said that town and parish councils should continue to discuss concerns with highways teams, and Cllr Isherwood said they should “take them up on that”.

Members unanimously agreed with Cllr Schofield’s proposal to ask Shropshire Council for information on whether Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money could be used to fund road projects the town council deemed priorities.

Shropshire Council were approached for comment.