A senior Shrewsbury Green Party councillor has slammed the town's gyratory scheme as a ‘chocolate teapot’ after it was revealed that the new floating bus stop outside the town’s railway station doesn’t meet national standards.

Councillor Julian Dean, a vocal advocate for better active travel and public transport links in Shrewsbury, has criticised the gyratory scheme for failing to deliver for the town’s residents.

Councillor Dean says:

‘The gyratory system is an absolute mess and a total embarrassment for Shrewsbury. The floating bus stop has become a bad joke on social media, but the entire scheme is symptomatic of an even more serious problem – Shropshire Council’s piecemeal approach to traffic issues. The council needs to take a bold and joined-up approach to tackling congestion across the town, improving public transport and making it easier for people to choose the cheaper and healthy options of walking and cycling. I share the frustration of residents who have watched this disastrous scheme unfold. It caused endless misery while it was being built and, now it is finished, it’s a total mess.’

Councillor Dean argues that the whole scheme is not fit for purpose and is urging the council to get back to basics when it comes to updating the town’s transport for the 21st century. He has also called for a cross-party summit of councillors to come up with a plan to move forwards – a request that the Liberal Democrat administration has so-far ignored.

Councillor Dean:

‘I’m a huge advocate of cycling and it’s been wonderful to see the Shrewsbury Moves e-bike scheme become such a success. But the gyratory system does nothing to encourage people to get out of their cars to reduce congestion. The planners have created 100m of expensive, gold-plated cycle lane that isn’t linked to any kind of network across the town. It’s as useful as a chocolate teapot and a total waste of almost £4m of taxpayer money. It’s as if the scheme was designed to make people angry.’

The Shrewsbury gyratory project began in June 2024 and has caused widespread traffic chaos around the railway station during its construction phase. Funded by a Levelling Up grant from the previous Conservative Government, it has cost around £3.8m. Shropshire Council has announced that a cross-party committee will launch an investigation into the project this week, with findings expected early in 2026.

Councillor Dean is calling for the new Liberal Democrat administration to reboot transport planning across Shrewsbury and to stop paying exorbitant fees to consultants.

Councillor Dean:

‘Shrewsbury is a medieval town that simply cannot cope with everyone driving. Now that the North West Relief Road is too expensive to build, we need to make active travel and public transport viable options to reduce the amount of cars. This will require a holistic, joined-up approach to planning. At the moment it feels like consultants are being paid bonuses for making things as complicated as possible – from doughnut roundabouts to gyratory systems. We have to prioritise more effective, less costly solutions – blanket 20mph limits, more pedestrian crossings, and connected cycle lanes. The only success of recent years has been the cheap and simple weekend pedestrianisation of the town centre, which many are calling to be extended. But even that is still being treated as ‘experimental’ by the council, with no sign of a permanent plan. There is a total lack of forward thinking. The new administration needs to get a grip.’