‘Elf and Safety puts paid to Hadley’s Merry Christmas

Health and safety rules are proving to be an insurmountable obstacle when it comes to hanging a ‘Merry Christmas’ sign from a bridge in Telford, a meeting heard.

The sign at a pedestrian and cycle bridge over Britannia Way in Hadley had been a feature of the festive season and its absence has prompted comments and speculation on social media.

Councillor Jasmine Bennett (Hadley Castle ward) asked if Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council could publish something to explain the situation.

“A man couldn’t see it from his window last year and he can’t see it from his window this year,” said Councillor Bennett at the meeting on Tuesday (December 2).

“There was a lot of stick given to us about it not being up.”

Officials said there had been “extensive meetings” with highways officials about it but no solution had been found.

Councillors were told that health and safety rules around the nearby junction with Haybridge Road and Leegate Avenue meant that the traffic lights would have to be put on red for the work to be carried out.

Councillor Eileen Callear, (Labour, Trench Lock ward) is the chairman of the council as well as being the Mayor of Telford and Wrekin.

Councillor Callear said that there’s been a change in the way that Telford & Wrekin Council did its work around Christmas lights.

“There were some changes to their processes and they are really complicated,” she said.

She said officials have had “so many meetings” but couldn’t move anything further forward.

A parish official said they normally use a cherry picker to put the sign up.

They had looked into whether it could be hung over the bridge from above rather than from the fixtures below.

“But they still weren’t happy with that for health and safety reasons.

“They would not want traffic running while they were doing that.

“It became a difficult thing to try and iron out.”

Councillor Bennett said perhaps the public could be asked if they want all the traffic lights on red to stop the traffic.

But she added that this would be “more of a health and safety issue” and be a “really, really, silly idea”.