Councillors make recommendations to change controversial Shrewsbury floating bus stop
Thousands of people signed a petition calling for the stop on Castle Foregate to be removed
A council committee is recommending that that changes be made to the controversial Shrewsbury 'floating bus stop' gyratory.
Shropshire Council’s ruling cabinet has been recommended to explore two options in parallel.
The first would be to revert to two lanes and the second would explore changing the cycleway to shared use for buses, taxis and cycles.
Councillors were told that there is a ‘low risk’ of a financial claw back but this would need clarification, the meeting heard.
Shropshire Council’s economy and environment overview and scrutiny committee, which met on Thursday, July 2, is to recommend that the council’s cabinet make the necessary decisions when it meets Wednesday morning (July 8).
Councillor Alan Holford asked what the impact would be if cyclists wanted to travel out of town if the changes were made. Committee chairman Ed Potter said the routes will have to be worked out.
Councillor Ben Jephcott agreed with Councillor Alan Mosley that there was nothing about the impact of heavy lorries using Ellesmere Road which has become a “killer for cyclists.”
Councillor Chris Naylor said: “It’s great that it is being thought about in great detail.”
Councillor Potter said the changes would need consultation with the business community and the emergency services.
Councillor Potter said: “There are problems there, it has had time. But if you use that part of town, the message is coming back loud and clear. I think we are all on the same page and want to see something happen quickly.”
Councillor Alan Mosley said returning to two lanes would solve the issue of the floating bus stop which would have blocked the car lane and seen pedestrians stepping out into the cycle lane.
Councillor Rob Wilson, the council’s portfolio holder for transport and regeneration said it was a matter of “high public interest and it was the right thing for scrutiny to look at it.”
He added that the council would need to check the ramifications because “we can’t afford for there to be claw back. ”
He added that he is “not a fan of the scheme as built.”
Councillor Potter said: “The time has come to do something here.”
He proposed the cabinet exploring the changes. The committee voted unanimously to accept that.
Springing up on Castle Foregate in October 2025, the bus stop was met by dismay by many people – leading to thousands of people signing a petition to try to remove it.
Two lanes of traffic was cut down to one, with the second lane replaced by a miniature section of cycle lane – along with one of the world’s smallest zebra crossings.
The bus stop was painted over the single car lane, meaning traffic would come to a standstill any time a bus stops – with passengers getting on and off would stepping across a cycle lane.
Within a month, Arriva Midlands said it would not stop at the bus stop due to safety concern, with Shropshire Council saying it felt “let down” by the contractors that built it.
The whole gyratory project near the railway station has come under scrutiny, with a Road Safety Audit (RSA) being carried out. A task and finish group was also set up to determine what went wrong and what lessons could be learned.
Councillors agreed with a move that saw the introduction of two way traffic along Chester Street removing the need for traffic from Ellesmere Road having to turn right at Cross Street to either access the town or continue along Smithfield Road.
Contact with the fire service has continued, resulting in approval for their vehicles to utilise the cycleway when on a call out.
The committee also agreed to continue the delivery of road safety audit recommendations via the contractor, which are currently progressing.
Also included in a total of six recommendations to the cabinet, councillors agreed that they should explore changing the configuration of the bus stop and cycleway, with the exploration of alternative designs to address safety and usability concerns.
Members of the committee have also highlighted the need for a stronger evidence base to support decision-making.