'Look across the border': Council urged to follow Welsh lead and scrap Shrewsbury relief road

Better Transport Shrewsbury believes the council should shelve the relief road plans after the Welsh Government decided not to go ahead with several road building projects over environmental concerns.

Work will not be continuing on the A5/A483 Halton Roundabout at Chirk or the Mid Wales Safety Schemes at the A470 Llangurig, A470 Llanidloes, A470 Pont y Bat (Felinfach), A487 Llanrhystyd, A487 Machynlleth, and A487 north of Aberarth.

The decision, which is part of the Welsh government’s National Transport Plan, means that all future roads will be tested against a set of strict criteria to ensure that they do not increase carbon emissions or the number of cars on the road. Future projects must also not lead to higher speeds and emissions or negatively impact the environment.

Following the announcement, campaigners have called on Shropshire Council to rethink its investment in the North West Relief Road (NWRR) and adopt a similar policy.

Emma Bullard, speaking on behalf of Better Shrewsbury Transport (BeST), said: "This is a bold decision by the Welsh Government and it reflects the seriousness of the accelerating climate emergency.

"Yet, just a few miles across the border in Shrewsbury, Shropshire Council continues to push for a major new road that will increase traffic, damage the environment and create more carbon than it saves. We urge the council to learn from the Welsh Government’s review and scrap the NWRR."

BeST has submitted a question to Shropshire Council’s next meeting on March 2, asking whether the council agrees with the criteria set by the Welsh Government for assessing new road infrastructure and, if not, to explain why.

Ms Bullard added: "Both Wales and Shropshire have declared climate emergencies and both administrations have warned the public that we must rapidly decarbonise every sector, including transport, or face disaster. We’re asking Shropshire Council to judge all new road building on the same, very sensible, criteria as Wales is now using.

"Surely Shropshire Council doesn’t want to build any new roads that increase traffic and emissions and destroy the environment? However, if the administration really is happy to do that, they need to come out and say it publicly.

"In making this decision the Welsh Government has stepped into the 21st Century. No one is saying we can’t build any more roads ever again. What we’re saying is that any new road must be worth the carbon cost. The North West Relief Road was conceived before anyone had ever put the words 'climate' and 'emergency' together. It is a decades old project fit for a world that no longer exists."

The planning application for the road, which would stretch from Churncote Island to Battlefield and effectively complete a ring road around Shrewsbury, has attracted more than 5,000 comments. Many documents containing environmental information have recently been added to the application.

To view the application visit bit.ly/3YK8vkM