Campaigners gather at Shrewsbury's Darwin Oak to protest North West Relief Road
About 150 people gathered beneath Shrewsbury's Darwin Oak, calling on Shropshire Council to scrap its North West Relief Road plans and ‘Save Our Shropshire Trees’.
Among the groups attending the protest at Shelton was Better Shrewsbury Transport (BeST), which has been leading the campaign against the road.
Families decorated the 550-year-old Darwin Oak with art and placards as an English Heritage flag – placed over the weekend by an unknown protestor – flew from the top of the tree.
The art was removed after Sunday's event, in order to prevent littering.
Various speakers – including Rob “The Treehunter” McBride – addressed the assembled crowd, who wore masks and remained socially-distanced at all times.
Dave Green, spokesman for BeST, said: "It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying Shelton Rough in the April sunshine.
"There were dozens of families and dogs and some fantastic artwork on display.
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"Shrewsbury’s famous Green Wedge is part of what makes our town the ‘original one-off’ and losing it will be a huge blow.
"In lockdown we saw how important green spaces like this are for our quality of life and they’re also vital for wildlife and nature to thrive.
"These trees aren’t just trees, they’re each home to over a thousand different species. No amount of saplings can replace them."
A planning application for the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road (NWRR) was submitted by Shropshire Council in February.
The application states the road would reduce journey times, traffic congestion, noise and pollution in Shrewsbury and the surrounding area, as well as helping to accommodate planned economic growth.
