Council to rule that Broadgate stays open

9:43am Monday 28th April 2008

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Highways boss is swayed by strength of local opinion.

RESIDENTS in Lower Broad Street have lost their bid to shut the medieval Broadgate in Ludlow.

After receiving two petitions - one in favour of closing it and one against - Shropshire Council is expected to keep the 13th century gateway open, despite fears over damage from large vehicles.

The county's assistant director for transport and highways Phil Crossland said: "While my view is that the only true way to protect the arch is to close it, we will be recommending it remains open because of the strength of local opinion and the previous representations from the town council."

In an e-mail to Ludlow Town Centre Residents' Association deputy chairman David Leeson, Mr Crossland said that the county has set aside £25,000 to help protect the last of Ludlow's seven original gateways. This will include bollards to restrict the width of vehicles entering Broadgate.

To help pedestrians, the footways through the arch will be widened. There will be a ban on the tight turns in and out of Silk Mill Lane. Following reports of bats roosting in the top of the arch, there will be a legally-necessary endangered species survey.

In March a petition signed by 48 members of Lower Broad Street asked for the arch to be closed to cars and other vehicles. They claimed Broadgate was too narrow to be used safely by both vehicles and pedestrians.

That was immediately followed by a counter-petition from 350 residents, collected by town councillor Derek Davies, asking for the ncient gate to remain open.

The future of Broadgate has often been the subject of controversy but Ludlow Town Council has a longstanding resolution saying it should never close. When the arch shut for emergency repairs in July 2005, there were worries that it would cause traffic congestion in the town's narrow lanes. That never happened.

Proposals for the scheme to preserve Broadgate will be discussed with the appropriate authorities as well as the owners of the Georgian house above the arch. Drawings are expected to be available by the end of May. Work could start in August.

David Leeson told the Advertiser: "We are very pleased to learn that Broadgate will not close. In a poll of members, there was a two to one vote against closure and that is what the town wants."