Rail station roadworks cause frustration

Jay McDonnell said noise from the roadworks was affecting hotel guests

Businesses have complained that town centre roadworks are affecting trade.

Work to improve the area around Shrewsbury's railway station have entered their second phase, with one lane of Castle Foregate being closed to traffic.

Shropshire Council has said the work will result in wider pavements, new crossings, benches and cycle routes, to "greatly enhance the area" and improve accessibility.

But taxi driver Roddy Doran, who regularly takes passengers to and from the station, said he was "struggling to make a living" since the work started - a programme due to continue until summer 2025.

He said journeys were taking longer and there had been a number of occasions when he had been unable to get his customers to the station on time.

Mr Doran said the roads there were "gridlocked all the time and added: "It's really disappointing that Shropshire Council hasn't really given much thought for us taxi drivers."

Roddy Doran said he had been struggling to make a living as a taxi driver

Jay McDonnell, the manager of The Alb hotel and bar, said the noise from the roadworks "does affect our hotel guests quite a lot".

He said it had been "a bit of a nightmare", adding: "It's a thing that people are trying to get used to, its going to be here for a while."

Some people walking into the town told BBC Radio Shropshire they had been avoiding the centre during the roadworks.

One woman, who said she worked in town, said: "It's affecting the businesses because people just aren't coming in."

Shropshire Council said it recognised the impact the eight-phase programme of works would have and thanked people for their patience.