Tesco’s plans to rejig the road layout on Wellington retail park - creating an “express lane” for its own customers - have run into trouble with the town council.
The supermarket wants to widen the access road into three lanes and scrap the mini-roundabouts, claiming this will end the notorious traffic congestion there.
But Wellington town councillors fear it will make matters even worse for people trying to shop at other places on the retail park, like Matalan, or using facilities such as McDonalds.
A planning application from Tesco has gone to Telford & Wrekin Council and work could start in January if permission is given.
Right of way
The store’s proposal is to widen the access, create a feeder lane down the middle and get rid of the mini-roundabouts.
Tesco shoppers would drive straight through, with right of way, on what would effectively be their own dedicated road in and out of the retail park.
But Wellington Town Council’s planning committee has lodged an objection on the grounds that the scheme would make traffic problems more difficult and dangerous because of the constant flow of Tesco traffic.
It adds: “Large quantities of traffic would back up. The safety of traffic leaving McDonalds would be jeopardised.”
Town councillor Roger Aveley said: “I’ve been a driving instructor since the early 1960s and I know what works and what doesn’t - and this won’t work.
“If you shop at Matalan, you’ll be sat fuming in your car for ages trying to get out while Tesco customers sail past.
“At least at the moment, Tesco traffic has to slow down to negotiate the mini-roundabouts.”
He added: “We are not trying to spike Tesco’s plans. We are just trying to be sensible about it.”
Councillor Aveley said one answer might be to create a second slip road into Wrekin Retail Park to cope with the rapidly growing number of cars.
l When the plan was unveiled, Tesco manager Jim Bradford said the store saw 40,000 customers a week, virtually all of whom arrived by car.
The sheer volume of traffic in and out of the retail park at peak weekends, and Christmas and Easter, was a major headache.
But he was confident the new scheme proposed by Tesco would see the end of the traffic problems at Wrekin Retail Park.
