your comments
J. Lea, Mold
Why has nobody thought of putting double yellow lines along one side of Victoria Road? I cannot believe that the council allow parking on both sides, heaven help emergency vehicles having to negotiate along that stretch of road.
Tue Apr 14 09:37:27 2009
Wil, Wrexham.
Have mercy on the Wrexham "road planners" (that's a laugh) folks, they're only apprentices hoping to graduate to the North Wales Trunk Road Agency. Never heard of them? You soon will! They are responsible for the imminent closure of the A483 from Ruabon to Johnstown for "at least 6 weeks". Subsidence? No! Improvements to the dangerous south-bound access at Ruabon? Certainly not, that would make sense. An experimental noise-reducing surface is to be installed! Big deal! Look out Ruabon, Johnstown and Pentrebychan. Plasbennion, Penycae and Rhos. Or are they going to divert westwards? I think not. How long will it be before another lorry clouts the bridge on Bangor Road? How many will be caught out by the bridge in Ruabon with a 9in. variation in clearance between south-bound and north-bound? Even local lorry driver falls for this one.
Wed Feb 25 08:26:20 2009
S from Wrexham
Driving around Wrexham is a nightmare. All it takes is one collision under Rhosddu Bridge and the whole town centre is spammed up for hours. Wrexham Council seems to want city status for the town. What a joke that would be! The town centre, its roads, pokey little railway station where you can't get a bite to eat etc are a joke! Oops! I forgot about the vending machine at the railway station.
Wed Feb 25 08:12:56 2009
Pete, Wrexham
I hope someone from the roads and highways reads this, my message to you is this, get a grip of yourselves for goodness sake, you are making living in our once great town a total and complete misery for everyone. The amount of roadworks and pavement works taking place at the moment are a disgrace. No wonder Wrexham has now been voted the worst town in Britain to drive through by lorry drivers nationwide.
Tue Feb 24 08:12:07 2009
Andrew Wilson, Wrexham
Croesnewydd Road - in addition to the tailbacks to and from the railway crossing to the Watery Road roundabout (and I know that residents have to park somewhere!) plus the agonising wait for trains to finally appear once the gates close, we are now having 2 sets of traffic light controlled crossings by the Maelor Hospital - one at the zebra crossing and another near to the main entrance. In "attempting" to solve something which wasn't a problem in the first place, we will now have 2 lots of red lights barely a hundred yards apart to get through. More joy for the morning and evening rush-hours. As usual, there will be the clever drivers who think that red lights don't apply to them jumping through (a common sight throughout Wrexham), making it potentially more unsafe to cross and increasing the chances of accidents! At least A&E is handy. Speaking of A&E, has anyone taken into account ambulances trying to get there in an emergency, already being delayed by traffic jams and the railway gates? I know someone who works in the hospital, and the managers there did not want these lights. And some people will still ignore the crossings, chancing their lives to save walking a few feet!
Mon Feb 23 08:45:24 2009
Sue
Two of WCBC's greatest mistakes have been to throw away the chance of an inner ring road (which WAS under discussion c.1997) with the removal of the Eagles Meadow flyover and the constuction of the EM centre splat on the route and the failure to continue the dual carriageway from the A483 Gresford roundabout into Wrexham Industrial Estate. So we have town without proper traffic flow around it and an industrial estate whose main access routes aren't much better than country lanes at some points. About time the council admitted its mistakes and did something about it. If they really do want city status (misguided IMHO), they need to get the traffic network up to city level. Re congestion, I tried to pick up a friend from the back of the People's Market last week, only to have to drive around in circles to do it! Mad.
Tue Feb 17 10:09:27 2009
Lee from Acton
I am working in a town in France for two weeks and what a pleasure it was to go into the local town yesterday. Plenty of free streetside parking, a town centre vegetable and fruit market serving fine fresh produce. Shops and butchers buzzing with local people all catching up on the latest gossip. In and out of the town in 30 mins having sampled community spirt and supported local shopkeepers. Open and centralise Wrexham please!
Mon Feb 16 08:50:56 2009
Pete, Wrexham
I am totally convinced now that at some time in the last few years there was a job advert that said 'Wanted, road planner for Welsh town centre, must have the ability to cause as much misery and devastation as is humanly possible, apply within, your 40,000 bollards will be provided free and your unecessary dig up a road any road you please rota also. Every job must be undertaken at least three times to cause as much of a nuisance as possible'.
Fri Feb 13 09:47:23 2009
TP, Wrexham
New year, new roadworks! Anyone who lives and drives in Smithfield or Hightown has had to endure years of disruption and inconvenience thanks to the council. Not only was it unnecessary to have temporary lights for quite so long by the Green Dragon last year (the workers rarely did more than a few hours a day!), they closed it again to do more work! Could this not have all been done at the same time? And now, Eagles Meadow is one way again (for 3 months apparently) so that they can finish off the paving. Again, why wasn't this all done at the time? I understand there are budgets to follow, but the construction of EM was hardly an overnight thing, the council had at least 2 years to sort out the layout of the road nearby. But no, we have to follow yet more diversions. If you were a shopper coming into (what's left of) the town centre, would you bother? For those of us who live here, we don't have a choice. I think we should all demand a reduction on our Council Tax. At least if the rumours are to be believed, there won't be disruption from any Rivulet Road development for a long time yet.
Wed Feb 4 13:02:44 2009
Wil, Wrexham.
For John, Penley. Well, John, you have my sympathy as things will get no better on Salop Road because there is more "development" to come on the old gasworks site on Rivulet Road. However, you are not alone in your misery. The town-planners who inflicted the Salop Road congestion upon you also "designed" other traffic systems throughout our town. Plas Coch, Ruthin Road, Mold Road etc. etc. etc. Simple solution for me, though not, perhaps, for so many others: use my WAG geriatric card on the bus to Chester for big easily accessible shops, Oswestry for shops such as Wrexham USED to have.
Mon Feb 2 08:32:45 2009
John, Penley
What on earth is going on and around the Green Dragon at Salop Road? Having suffered traffic problems in that area whilst the Eagles Meadow development was taking place, then again whilst works were taking place outside the Lidl store, there is now another set of temporary traffic lights by the Esso garage. In each case traffic is backed up to RWF barracks. It's almost as if "the authorities" don't want people to come into Wrexham town centre from the Marchwiel direction.
Fri Jan 30 09:41:37 2009
Wil, Wrexham.
A.Jones. Wrexham bears no comparison with Chester for football congestion. If Chester F.C. chose to sell their old ground and move to a "stadium" (that's a laugh!) on the Welsh border, knowing of the certainty of congestion problems then that is their right and their supporters' pain. The complaints about congestion in Wrexham are valid any day except Sunday and in several locations, not just at the badly planned Plas Coch complex. Have a proper read of the previous comments. Any jumped-up developer can block the road as long as they are building houses to increase the population of our town to assist the council's misguided ambition to become a city. I'm still waiting to see a factory being built, not demolished, in Wrexham. The new shopping centre, plus the impending development in Rivulet Road will not ease the congestion at all. By the way, I read our leader, Coun. A.Roberts', statement in Connect [council magazine], that we have a "compact shopping area". Come along, Aled, Sainsbury's to Matalan via B&Q, Wrexham Lager, Island Green, what's left of the town centre, Asda, Wick's, Tesco and Eagles Meadow? Oxford Dictionary:- "compact" "closely or neatly packed together". Mile and a half Sainsbury's to Matalan is hardly compact!
Thu Oct 30 08:12:54 2008
A Jones (Wrexham town centre)
I see people moaning about Wrexham - roads near Plas Coch when football is on (I work as a steward in Wrexham and Chester football clubs). I've got to say you think Wrexham's got congestion trouble on the Mold Road when football is over. Get over it, it can take over an hour to get down Bumpers Lane then another 45 mins to get to the Grosvenor roundabout, Chester, that's 1 hour and 45 mins - an average extra hour waiting then in Wrexham. Another thing if ya moaning because of bus lanes, taking short cuts, then leave your car at home and get the bus to town (save on parking as well)!
Wed Oct 29 08:14:12 2008
Pete, Wrexham
Is it any wonder people get irate when I have just spent nearly 15 minutes at 3 way traffic lights by the RAFA Club with not so much as a flea working on the 2 long yard roadworks on a road that is wide enough to get 3 double decker buses through - and this was on a Saturday.
Mon Oct 20 08:13:18 2008
Ant, Wrexham
Young drivers/boy racers (as you call them) aint the problem it's the people who stop in places they shouldn't blocking up the roads. There is also a bus stop by TK Max which is badly situated because it means that when a bus is pulled up to let passengers on/off you (as drivers) have no choice but to either wait or go round the corner on the wrong side of the road. Also, for the people who blame conjestion on young drivers, you are wrong as young drivers go out into town later in the evening when there is little traffic.
Fri Oct 10 08:56:51 2008
Janet, Wrexham!
The roundabout leading into Asda is very badly laid out. There are no lane markings, and people exiting the store cannot be sure whether a driver approaching in the outside lane is turning into Asda or going on past Waterworld. It needs sorting out.
Mon Sep 22 08:23:47 2008
Nick, Webteam
Where's the most congested road in the region? Add your route to our map.
Tue Sep 9 12:53:31 2008
PS, Rhosddu
Definitely Plas Coch needs to be amended by building a road in between JJB / Pets store. This will keep the congestion at the other roundabout to a minimum and solve 99% of the congestion problem. It took me a hour to get out when there was cinema, football, etc on there. All the talk about carbon emissions, green, etc and Wrexham insist on causing avoidable congestion. I also strongly disagree with the humps that are being made even bigger in some areas. If you want traffic calming outside of school areas stick a 20mph speed limit with a camera on it - far more effective for all vehicles on the road and less damaging/annoying to residents.
Wed Aug 13 07:49:22 2008
AP, Wrexham
A traffic related issue that's really bugging me at the moment- 'boy racers' in the town centre. I am sick of being cut up, having them race up behind me, and drive around with unbelievably loud sound systems. I'm all for driving fast, but theres a time and a place for it, and it's not along St Giles Way every evening until the early hours. Many of these drivers are inexperienced and take bends way too fast, it's only a matter of time before a pedestrian gets run over. And why they spend money on Corsas and Fiestas instead of something classier is beyond me. Obviously there are some genuine enthusiasts who drive with more care, but as always there is a small minority ruining it for everyone else. Come on North Wales Police, seeing as you are so interested in 'Arriving Alive', how about a speeding blitz in the town centre?
Fri Aug 1 12:13:39 2008
Ray JCB Minera
Can somebody tell me what the light bollards by Minera school are for? Are they for decoration or another council cock up? All they do is waste electric for no purpose whatsoever.
Wed Jul 2 08:53:11 2008
Nick, Web Team
In response to PC's comments below, I called Wrexham Council to ask about the number and cost of any claims in relation to speed humps and all other traffic calming measures - and they said none had been received or awarded during the financial year 2007-8.
Mon Apr 28 15:20:30 2008
PC Wrexham
What is it with traffic calming? Speed humps are my gripe, they are all different sizes and shapes, and if the government are to be believed, they cost councils more in insurance claims and repair than they are worth. But still Wrexham Council continue to put these abominable lumps of tarmac in the most stupid of places. They know that they are losing money through speed humps but do nothing about it. I suppose it's OK if you drive a 4x4, they don't even slow down for them, but for someone in a family saloon you risk damaging your car every time you go over one. Solution? Claim from the council, they will get the gist of things when they find that next year's transport budget is already spent on insurance claims arising from badly built speedhumps.
Mon Apr 28 08:46:41 2008
Mike Williams
I have found the perfect way to control my blood pressure - do not go into Wrexham shopping. Chester and Shrewsbury have good park and ride systems that are cheap and effective and a much better range of quality shops and eating places. Wrexham will only get worse when Eagles Meadow opens.
Wed Apr 9 07:09:43 2008
Simon L; Garden Village
In my view, traffic in Wrexham is worsened by the light system at the end of Grosvenor Road where it joins Mold Rd. No sooner are you through the lights at the end of Grosvenor Rd than it comes to a halt where the filter starts for fire station and Catholic church. Barely enough time to get four cars through at busy times and this is then compounded by traffic trying to get across into Grosvenor Rd from town. Who invented that system of bus lane not following the same filter as all the other traffic and for what, a couple of hundred yards saved? And why is there a bus stop just around the corner by the fire station? When a bus stops there it adds to congestion as traffic cannot pass it to keep the flow. Sometimes that's two light changes. I have been stuck there behind it and there is insufficient room to go round it especially as the other lane is for traffic going to Mold. Senseless! How much better might traffic flow without that second set of lights and that cleverly placed bus stop? After all, there are filter rules in place anyway. As for the rest of the town, I can see the new development at Eagles Meadow causing a further nightmare. After all, who has been stuck at Plas Coch when the cinema kicks out? Surely that will now be the whole of the town centre, with bowling etc and cinema! If anything there needs to be a one way system round the whole of the town. That will keep some traffic out of town and the rest at least all travelling and filtering one way. Planners!? Their answer seems to be speed humps. It's getting to the point where you need a four by four just to negotiate the town roads!
Tue Apr 8 08:22:34 2008
Jim. Rhos
Don't take your cars into Wrexham we are told. Like lots of others, I keep my car out of Wrexham, I shop elsewhere, it's the shops that will suffer for the traffic planning. I find the Wrexham bypass great, that's the closest I get to Wrexham.
Mon Apr 7 09:38:06 2008
Tilly, Wrexham
Having driven around a number of the large cities within the UK, Wrexhams road network does stack up quite well. The biggest problem that I have encountered within the town is poor driving ability of a large percentage of the motorists. The Central Road (Art College) gyratory system is one that is replicated in layout in different cities/towns around the county and yet Wrexham is the only place where people grind to a halt and give way at merge lanes causing the traffic to back up throughout the system. Plas Coch Roundabout is now a nightmare since the Saturday timings have been changed. I have read in the local press on numerous occasions people complaining about the delay in exiting Sainsbury's on a Saturday afternoon, the answer is a simple one – do not go to Sainsbury's on a Saturday afternoon when Wrexham are playing at home and at times when films are finishing in the cinema, or walk. It's not exactly rocket science is it? Do the motorists of Wrexham know what lane to be in when negotiating a roundabout? I don't think so some how. The number of occasions when I have been at a roundabout wishing to proceed straight on in the correct left hand approach lane and some idiot comes along in the right hand approach lane and just cuts me up at the straight ahead exit. Having listened to people bleat on and blame the Council Engineers a little research in the right direction shows that the engineers are not to blame and in fact any proposals are approved by the Local Councillors. Is the reason on why they are suddenly being more vocal anything to do with the May elections?
Fri Apr 4 16:55:12 2008
David, Wrexham
Wrexham Borough Council have undoubtedly got the worst road traffic planners of any council in the UK. Our councillors are to blame for not sacking the individuals who have had an obsession with turning Wrexham and the surrounding areas into 'humpland'. Anyone visiting Rhosllanerchrugog will encounter the worst one way traffic system in Europe!
Thu Apr 3 10:04:54 2008
SE, Wrexham
Peter wrote about "the inane planning mistakes that have been made over the last twenty years by dogmatic people from all shades of political opinion on the council. They have never ever listened to the indigenous population when they have expressed concern over a particular planning application." Never mind not listening to the local population, councillors don't seem to listen to the "expert advice" of their own specialist employees (planners, engineers etc.) either. I'm not aware that Wrexham councillors include many town planning or traffic experts. Well, either they don't listen, or the experts employed by the council don't know what they are doing either!
Wed Mar 26 10:51:24 2008
Pete, Wrexham
Well said Colin, the planners should take a look at Cefn Road at 4.45 which is knocking off time from the industrial estate and then think to themselves have we really improved this road, the answer to the question is no, you have made it about 100 times worse, but don't worry they will soon be thinking of more ways to waste a bit more money. I asked one of them one day about the situation and his reply was 'it is to deter drivers from using that particular road', now work that one out please because it is beyond me.
Wed Mar 26 09:34:44 2008
Wil, Wrexham
Are we talking about the same planner(s) that stopped the children's bus service from Holt Road to Darland High School, Rossett, on the pretext that it didn't comply with some by-law or other? I've submitted numerous comments, here and elsewhere about the capabilities (that's a laugh) of WCBC planners. Is there another town in the UK with a mile and a half long shopping area?
Wed Mar 26 09:34:02 2008
Colin from Wrexham
I often wonder how the minds of local traffic planners work in Wrexham. We often hear about the limited funds they have available for road improvements around the town, but their budget seems to be limitless when it comes to traffic calming schemes, speed bumps and line painting. I'm all in favour of slowing down traffic in certain places, but the planners seem to be obsessed with installing some sort of scheme on every road in the town, regardless of whether there's a need for it or not. One example, 2 or 3 years ago, traffic calming was introduced outside Ysgol Morgan Llwyd school on Cefn Road. This consisted of narrowing the road to a single lane at 2 points. This is a major route to the industrial estate (because the lack of an adequate link road) and it's a busy road and so what do the planners do? Add 2 more of these single lanes at the end of last year. It means that you now have to navigate through 4 of these chicanes in the space of about a third of a mile. The problem is compounded by the fact that there is also no consistency in who has priority. This wasn't an accident blackspot previously, but this traffic calming measure has now created an 'accident waiting to happen' as people try to get through the chicanes at the last minute, just to beat oncoming traffic,resulting in frequent near misses. I've already seen this happen on numerous occasions. Were the 2 original lanes not sufficient? Maybe the reason is that the spare money had to be spent on something and the planners couldn't think of anything better to do with it. After all its only council tax payers' money thats being used. It's time some of these planners did what they are being paid for and 'plan' instead of just thinking that traffic calming is the answer to everything.
Tue Mar 25 11:44:30 2008
Peter, Gresford
The fact is that it is now too late to rectify the inane planning mistakes that have been made over the last twenty years by dogmatic people from all shades of political opinion on the council. They have never ever listened to the indigenous population when they have expressed concern over a particular planning application. This has resulted in the preponderance of supermarket or national chain stores being established to the detriment of local shops that had served the people of Wrexham for decades. Just witness the shops that have recently closed, it is inevitable that more will join them as a result of the Quatermass Experiment taking shape on the former Eagles Meadow which will result in even more traffic chaos. This can all be summed up by the comment made by one councillor who said, we don't have to listen to those people out there! Those people just happen to be council tax payers.
Mon Mar 17 09:28:48 2008
Nick Colbourne
Well we get it wrong once again! Targeting the motorist is rapidly becoming a very nasty trait of this administration. Fining people more for parking than for moving traffic offences simply beggars belief. http://ruabonlabourcouncillor.blogspot.com
Wed Mar 12 10:37:06 2008
Nick, Wrexham
Because of the parking bays on Rhosddu road you have to travel with a third of your car on the wrong side of the road for a long distance. If a lot of cars are parked in the bays, if you hit an on coming car because of this, can you claim for damages from the council because of their stupidity in creating this situation?
Fri Mar 7 08:36:06 2008
PC, Wrexham
I think that much of the blame for Wrexham's road congestion (apart from too many people using their cars when they could walk) lies with idiotic, or non-existent, highway planning. Examples - 1. Green Dragon and St Giles link road traffic lights totally uncoordinated. Result - huge traffic jams back through Hightown and vehicles blocking the Green Dragon junction. St Giles link road lights only allow about 5 vehicles through towards Eagles Meadow before changing in favour of the link road, even if there is only one vehicle waiting. 2. Sainsbury's roundabout traffic lights totally unresponsive to traffic flow and size of queues. 3. Silly "giratory" system around Central Retail Park which most drivers just cannot cope with. 4. Routing the ring road through a residential area (Talbot Road) and allowing on-street parking on both sides of the road. Even walking along this road is near impossible because cars park right up on the pavements. 5. Allowing a huge increase in residential development in the Wrexham area without improving the road infrastructure. Wrexham Council’s solution would seem to be based on the ostrich principle – bury your head in the sand and pretend that the problem doesn't exist. I think if you gave their highway planners a Scalextric set they would manage to create a traffic jam! (Although at least that might stop them coming up with any other silly road ideas for our town.)
Wed Mar 5 09:47:41 2008
Karl Williams
Isn't it about time Wrexham had a park and ride full time? It would surely ease congestion in the town centre and provide better and much needed parking spaces.
Thu Feb 28 08:54:22 2008
Cllr Nick Colbourne
I had a site meeting with several officers from the council on Friday. You can read what we discussed here
Tue Feb 26 09:37:56 2008
Pete, Wrexham
I live in Wrexham and work in Coedpoeth, the A525 has been closed for 6 weeks now and from where I live the diversion I have to take is up Bersham Rd and past Bersham Waterfall and Nant Mill. So what do our council do at this time, close Bersham Rd for resurfacing works for 3 weeks. You really couldn't make it up if you tried, I think I'll go via Porthmadoc it will probablly be quicker.
Fri Feb 15 08:48:40 2008
Tone P, Wrexham
I think the council have blown what's left of this year's highways budget on re-painting double yellow lines all over the town centre: something to do with them taking over parking enforcement soon. As in other places where this has happened, expect the usual tales of people getting tickets if they park slightly on a yellow line. The council cannot manage the road layout, what chance have they got with parking enforcement? Having read the council's response to the congestion issue, they seem to have dodged the questions over the poor road layouts. Since when did the budget provided by the Assembly determine that traffic calming islands be built either side of a blind corner? It's the standard political response - treat the electorate like it's dumb and with a 'we know best' attitude.
Fri Feb 8 08:36:06 2008
JT, Wrexham
I agree the Plas Coch roundabout is a nightmare. Is there any reason why they can't put an exit by the cinema therefore diverting traffic completely away from the other entrance?
Fri Feb 8 08:12:50 2008
Lee T
The problem I see daily on Grosvenor Rd is traffic coming down Grosvenor Road to turn right to to go past the fire station, also traffic coming from the left to go up Grosvenor Road or towards the fire station again, as the distance of road from the 2 sets of lights can only handle about 6 cars. The traffic from Grosvenor Road heads through the short lived green lights and blocks the access from the left, causing tailbacks right through town. I see this day in day out, so surely the planning dept. must do too, unless they have some secret quick route out that we don't know about! Just to add, my record from getting from Homebase to Grosvenor Road is 45 minutes, and that was just a normal day!
Thu Feb 7 08:46:15 2008
Dave Jones
Thank goodness Councillor Nick Colbourne is trying to do something about this situation. Whoever designed the Wrexham town centre road system should have had their P45 a long time ago! It's a constant nightmare - not just at peak times, any time you drive into the centre of town (as I do daily for work) you're left queuing aimlessly. I dread going to Sainsburys and even Tescos, the main problem is that there is only one entrance to all of the major shopping areas - commonsence denotes that this will obviously cause delays and queues! Most mornings traffic is queuing on to the bypass from the B&Q / Mold Road roundabout and the it's the same story as you head through Rhostyllen. I could go on but I think everyone in the area knows how dreadful it is. You would expect it in a big city centre, but not Wrexham. Let's just hope something can be done very soon about this!
Thu Feb 7 08:43:51 2008
Cllr Nick Colbourne
Can I respond to Neil, Wrexham's comments in regard to Average Speed Cameras? I totally agree with him on the issue and have previously tried to get them installed here. In October 2006 I was at a road safety seminar in Westminster and a representative of TFL (Transport for London) told me about their experiment with them in Hackney. The cameras meant the removal of speed humps and importantly those drivers who had made a split second mistake and drove slightly over the limit could slow down or even stop and by doing so, kept a clean licence. I was very impressed with the concept, so much so that upon my return home I wrote to those who could influence and make us the first authority in Wales to proceed with such an innovative idea. My AM and MP were very supportive of the idea, as was the NW Fire Service. Silly me, fancy thinking a reduction in revenue would be supported in all areas. The Council then quoted some obscure Assembly policy for road safety and why we were 'bound' by it which they thought meant we couldn't even consider the idea and er...I'm still waiting for a reply from Richard Brunstrom!
Wed Feb 6 11:19:57 2008
Nick, Web Team
We're blogging about yesterday's Wrexham Council meeting in which the issue of congestion was on the agenda - you won't like the bland response from the council...
Wed Feb 6 08:22:26 2008
Neil, Wrexham
Wrexham's congestion problems seems to stem from the poor planning and poor thinking of the town highways planners. There was no need to make the Art college a huge roundabout. We needed the road to access the new development, but a roundabout (without lights) where the old Esso Garage on Regent Street would have solved this problem. Just try turning right out from the Rail Station at any time of day and you will see the scale of the problem. I believe the Eagles Meadow development would be a success except no doubt the planners will concoct a one way system which will end up causing congestion. 'Safety' cameras on the Mold Road (didn't the government set up a criteria of setting these up in accident blackspots!!) Rhosddu bridge has on average 2 accidents a week and still they won't put lights there! My poor car rattles nowadays with the speed humps. The size of them defies belief. I fully support the use of average speed cameras outside schools and in residential areas.
Wed Feb 6 08:21:17 2008
Leonard Salisbury, Acrefair
There is an exit road outside PC World that needs to be addressed as a car came down it and almost collided with my car. All I got was a load of abuse from the driver. The angle of this road is not acute enough to prevent cars entering and signs to show "No Entry" at this exit.
Mon Feb 4 09:38:57 2008
John Fitzgerald, Penley
My wife and I do our "weekly shop" in Tesco and both being retired we manage to get into town mid-week and thus avoid the Saturday crowds. However, choose the wrong time mid-week and it's a nightmare on the A525 from the Green Dragon right back to the Royal Welch barracks. The situation has been made worse ever since the construction of the Eagle's Meadow shopping centre. More than once we've headed in the opposite direction and gone to Harlescott, Shrewsbury. The problem with the A525 route into Wrexham is I believe compounded by traffic not being able to filter left at the traffic lights by Lidl's into the St Giles Link road.
Fri Feb 1 15:14:30 2008
Pete, Wrexham
I passed my driving test 20 years ago and at that time Wrexham was quite a nice place to drive. Move ahead 20 years and what do we have, a town of needless humps on almost every road, traffic calming of the most idiotic proportions which now include having to manoeuvre your vehicle onto the opposite side of the road even though there is a hump on it to slow you down anyway. Now correct me if I'm wrong but I was taught to drive on the left except when overtaking. There is even one on Aston Grove that forces vehicles on the wrong side 15 yards from the junction and I have personally been witness to several near head on crashes in the last few months. Drive in any UK town or city and you don't see anything like this, ridiculous and bizarre beyond belief and a total waste of our money, and you can guarantee the next lot is being planned right now to make driving in Wrexham and surrounding villages an even bigger nightmare.
Thu Jan 31 08:16:39 2008
Cllr Nick Colbourne
Hi Nick [Web Team], I am submitting a question for next Tuesday's Executive Board regarding this whole debacle. The Board meets at 2pm and questions are first up, so if anyone feels that they'd like to hear about what, if any, solutions we have in the pipeline for these problems, please come along to the Guildhall.
Wed Jan 30 15:47:52 2008
Tone P, Wrexham
What I find disturbing is just how incompetent the decision makers are, and how they are blind to the obvious problems that recent road schemes will create: The one-way layout around Central Retail that creates queues of traffic into town at peak-time, and leads you right round a blind corner into a queue stuck behind a bus. The traffic calming on Cefn Road that forces you onto the wrong side of the road just before a bend. The traffic build up past Eagles Meadow caused by the frequently used pedestrian crossing. Plas Coch. Many of these are dangerous, and are a major accident waiting to happen. And what will the result of that be? To change the layout again at more expense to the council tax payer. There needs to be a clean sweep of council policy - either they want to build road schemes that support increased traffic levels, or they go the other way and keep what we've got and implement solutions such as a proper park & ride and bus lanes. At the moment it all appears aimless.
Wed Jan 30 14:03:44 2008
Robert Davies, Wrexham
I have lived in Wrexham all my life, through that time I have seen the idiocy of major car parks being built over, through routes being pedestrianised, ridiculous traffic light systems (how can I tell when the traffic lights are not working? The traffic is flowing smoothly.) Dangerous and life threatening 'traffic calming' - Cefn Road is dangerous and New Road is downright lethal - try driving either at night and in rain they're all but impossible to make out clearly until it's too late. My primary venue for shopping is now Chester, or via the internet, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, until the sheer arrogance of the 'we know better than you' Wrecsam Council is overcome.
Wed Jan 30 08:55:00 2008
Sue, Wrexham
A friend from mainland Europe predicted the problems we would have in Wrexham over 10 years ago. Working in the freight business in Northern Europe, after only one drive around Wrexham he said it was the worst place he'd ever driven, second only to Brussels! The most recent insanity is the one way loop diverting traffic around the new Eagles Meadow development - trying to drive from Halfords to Tesco last week was impossible, even after two tours of Caia Park - first no left turn, then no right turn, blah, blah. Truth is so much of the town centre has been pedestrianised there's no viable traffic route for a diversion any more. The Plas Coch roundabout system - another disaster suffering from the usual Wrexham problem - not enough length of road to facilitate larger city road solutions (same problem by the Post Office sorting depot). I seem to remember the Plas Coch roundabout was altered prior to Homebase being built, then the planning permission couldn't be refused when it went to appeal because Sainsburys? Homebase? had contributed to the alteration works? The town is never going to work until there is a proper ringroad. Even the dualing of the access road between the Gresford roundabout and the Industrial Estate fizzled out only part way along, and the proposed new road into the Industrial Estate seems long forgotten now. Pedestrian and cycling opportunities are thrown away, like the proposed cycle route along the old railway line to Brymbo - since there are going to be yet more houses built on the old line west of the Lodge, this looks like another WCBC scheme that has gone bye byes. I bet it used up a lot of council workers' time planning the cycle route, the Industrial Estate road etc. As soon as a big developer comes along wanting to build another few dozen/hundred/thousand "affordable homes", the council bow down to them and more congestion begins... The only solution is to stop piecemeal development for a year or two and get the road network sorted out first. The council tax revenues from the hundreds of new houses on the Brymbo Steelworks site and along Ruthin Road should help pay for this!
Tue Jan 29 08:25:14 2008
Wil, Wrexham.
For:- Peter, Wrexham and Cllr. Nick Colbourne, ditto, both.If you're waiting near Eagles Meadow beware. In addition to the traffic generated by the new shops there will be increased traffic from the development of houses and an industrial unit on the site of the old gasworks. Drive along Wrexham Road, Rhostyllen. Then try to imagine the extra traffic caused by one car per bedroom planning requirement of the proposed, but NOT YET APPROVED, 223 commuter homes site at Erddig, and on greenfield land at that! Further problems are being created for Plas Coch by the Ruthin Road developments which will also feed on to the Mold Road traffic light controlled roundabout. Wrexham's traffic problems could best be solved by a clean sweep of the top brass at the planning department. Or should they stay to be made to clear up the b****y mess they have created over the years? Me? I use my W.A.G. provided geriatric bus pass as much as poss. I can avoid Plas Coch by visiting Chester, Mold or Oswestry in my car.
Mon Jan 28 12:19:05 2008
Peter .Wrexham.
One thing i have noticed,we all agree that wrexham as it stands is the new M25 of North Wales and we are all asking the council to do some thing about it,i find it strange that the council are very silent about the issue,is it because they dont know what to do or we about to find our rates will have to go up for road improvements and they havent got the nerve to tell us yet,some council people must read this web site,is there a chance that the council will tell us how they plan to overcome this,we are waiting,mind you,we do that in our cars now when we drive into wrexham nowe so whats new! .
Mon Jan 28 07:55:45 2008
Nick, Web Team
You can see from the link and coment below that Wrexham councillor Nick Colbourne has agreed to take on your concerns and complaints about traffic congestion in Wrexham and to take them to the council and ask that they address the issue.
Fri Jan 25 13:38:21 2008
Cllr Nick Colbourne
I'd ask that anyone who wants to send me their thoughts do so either as a comment via the blog posting Driving in Wrexham? Forget it! and we can raise the level of complaints on the nightmare that is driving in Wrexham. As I said in the posting it's town driving. I appreciate that it isn't a hood down, enjoyable experience, but it doesn't have to be so miserable either! The town is a series of disjointed, mismatched ideas that simply do not work to accommodate the volume of traffic on the roads. For instance, I represent the WLGA on the National Road Safety Advisory Panel where my colleagues are incredulous at this Authority's approach to chicanes as the answer to a significant road safety measure. Anyone convinced as to their effectiveness in Cefn Road or Eyton for instance? Forced to drive on the wrong side of the road as a safety feature! Or how about when there is sufficiently heavy traffic using Gresford roundabout and with Chester Road lights on red, you're queued stationary across the Link Road exit and vulnerable to traffic intending to use that exit? As I posted "The whole thing needs looking at and engineers/planners need to listen to the views of the poor motorists who have to live with this mayhem each and every day, before re-drawing the whole damn lot!"
Fri Jan 25 13:36:29 2008
Phil from Manchester
Like many of you, I have sat in queues getting out of the Plas Coch retail park. It's horrible, but don't blame Wrexham Council entirely. As I recall, the council refused planning permission for the Homebase shop because of traffic congestion concerns, but the (then) Welsh Office allowed the development on appeal.
Mon Jan 21 09:33:48 2008
Mike, Wrexham
Wrexham’s traffic system is a real mess and I cannot see an easy way out of a situation that has developed over many years by short-sighted, self-preserving local and national politicians. We now have a situation where Wrexham's traffic is about to increase significantly through the Eagles Meadow development and yet park and ride systems are still a dot on the horizon. Our neighbouring and competing retail towns of Chester and Shrewsbury have well developed and used park and ride systems. These towns also have considerably less speeds bumps so traffic around the town centre flows more freely. Wrexham really has a small-town mentality and is governed by knee-jerk politicians and public sector managers who appear to often act in a desperate, fragmented and dysfunctional way. The bigger picture is unfortunately beyond them. We can look forward to more jams, longer road journeys, more speed bumps (as crazed motorists take to the side streets to avoid the jams). Little things like increasing the number of road lanes from Plas Coch to the A483 would make a huge difference but nothing ever seems to happen. I also note with amazement the length of time traffic lights stay on red and amber often without a pedestrian in sight. No doubt this is due to some Government directive that traffic lights must stay on red and amber for 25.1347 seconds exactly! Anyway, I'm off to Chester to use their park and ride! Hope you lot don't spend all day on Grosvenor road!
Mon Jan 21 09:13:36 2008
Philip Osborne from Rhosllanerchrugog
I moved here recently from Telford. Telford has its own traffic problems but nothing like the problems in Wrexham. The biggest problem is that Wrexham never was (and still isn't) designed for heavy traffic. The one or two roads that can handle traffic feed off or onto roads that can't cope so there is still chaos. To alleviate the problems at Plas Coch, the short stretch of road between the NEWI roundabout and the big roundabout should have two lanes. That way traffic travelling straight along Plas Coch road won't get held up at the first roundabout, and traffic turning into town won't be held up by traffic joining the bypass as they approach the second roundabout. The council seem to like illogical one way systems on small roads that aren't used by anyone anyway... how about a logical one way system on a road that is actually over used? Make Grosvenor Road/Rhosddu Road/King Street/Regent Street into a two-lane one way system. This will allow traffic to be "split up" and "spread out" so there is less congestion.
Tue Jan 15 08:07:24 2008
Justin, Wrexham
Plas Coch is terible. It took me 30 mins to get from Sainsburys to the bypass...today!
Fri Jan 11 09:56:24 2008
Pete, Wrexham
The A525 road to Coedpoeth is now closed for 13 weeks for water works, so traffic is diverted down past the watchtower farm. I travelled this way yesterday with no problem at all, so what do the council do in all their wisdom? Put 3 way traffic lights on the junction near Caego (so everyone gets their turn by all accounts). Result, a wait of over 5 minutes for everyone and a 300 yard queue.
Wed Jan 9 13:03:19 2008
Nick, Wrexham
This town is a joke to drive around, too many speed humps of varying sizes that ruin your car and God help someone with a back injury in an ambulance or even someone with heart attack or house fire waiting for emergency services to amble over the speed humps! Regarding the congestion at Plas Coch, why don't they put a direct road from the retail park to the A483 to ease congestion?
Mon Jan 7 10:38:04 2008
Wil, Wrexham.
I have deliberately avoided Plas Coch shopping because I had the same experience as Dagg and now just don't patronise the shops there. I've phoned three of the tenants and complained about the poor exit. Complaint noted and, hopefully, passed on, but without any further obvious action. Being, I hope, constructive, could an EXIT ONLY be built between JJB and the pet shop or between Boots and Aldi? At least it would allow egress from that part of the complex thus easing congestion at the "statue" roundabout.
Mon Dec 31 09:04:06 2007
DAGG, Wrexham
Plas Coch - what a joke! 30 minutes to get from Curry's to the Plas Coch pub. When will something be done?
Thu Dec 27 08:24:32 2007
