Ironbridge Pathways statement
Telford & Wrekin Council carried out a consultation before Christmas which included three public drop in events right next to the Ironbridge.
The Council has worked closely with the World Heritage Site Steering Group, Ward Member, Parish Council, Planning Authority and Conservation officer as part of this process.
We are aware of a petition protesting at this plan. However we hope that people understand the existing material has suffered extensive damage and is extremely expensive and difficult to maintain.
The Yorkstone was originally laid circa 1980 and is not an historic feature of the World Heritage Site. The paving option has been extremely well received during consultation and is seen as an appropriate replacement material. The current stone is not a locally sourced material and is not representative of the types of materials used in Ironbridge prior to it being laid.
If we were to address all existing issues and retain the current yorkstone, it would cost £300,000 more than the plan to replace the current footways with new paving and would continue to be a high cost maintenance burden. The £380,000 investment to provide the new clay block paving is a significant investment and is equivalent to the total annual footways programme across the borough.
