Councillor believes A518 safety review after fatal crash near Lilleshall will ‘confirm fears’

Councillor Andrew Eade represents the area of the collision on the A518 near Lilleshall and is pleased that the review will cover a stretch of the road from Donnington to and Chetwynd Aston.

He said he is in “no doubt that the review will highlight and confirm my fears and reservations concerning a number of dangerous junctions at Lilleshall, Brockton Leasowes, and Church Aston.”

Councillor Eade (Conservative, Church Aston & Lilleshall) has welcomed a quick response from highways chiefs after he called for an ‘urgent and comprehensive review’ into safety issues.

A woman in her 50s died at the scene of a two car collision on the A518 (Wellington Road) close to Lilleshall on April 9 while the male driver of the other car sustained ‘potential life-threatening’ injuries and a child was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Councillor Eade said: “I welcome the speedy response from Telford and Wrekin Council’s highways chiefs to my request for an urgent and comprehensive review into road safety issues on the A518 between the Clock Tower at Donnington and the ‘Sheep Island’ at Chetwynd Aston.

“I have no doubt that the review will highlight and confirm my fears and reservations concerning a number of dangerous junctions at Lilleshall, Brockton Leasowes, and Church Aston, and I urge the council to undertake the review as a matter of some urgency and act immediately on any findings and recommendations that will undoubtedly flow from the report.”

Councillor Eade has been in touch with highways chiefs who have told him that the council has commissioned an independent review of road safety that will review the section from Clock Tower roundabout to Chetwynd Aston.

At least one petition has been launched locally calling for speed cameras and a reduction in the speed limit near the crash site. It has been signed by more than 2,300 people on the Change.org website.

Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said the council will announce its next steps in “due course”.

Councillor Overton (Labour, St Georges) said: “As inquiries are still proceeding, we continue to await the outcome of the police investigation and will announce the next steps in due course, alongside the findings of the council-commissioned independent review of road safety on this section of the A518 from Donnington to Chetwynd Aston.”

A meeting was held between the council and West Mercia Police on Monday April 14 “to focus on immediate actions aimed at preventing further incidents, and the deployment of targeted interventions that enhance road safety.”

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said the force had “nothing more to add.”