Coronavirus will not delays projects like Shrewsbury North West Relief Road, says council boss
Projects like the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road will not fall behind schedule due to coronavirus-related work restrictions, Shropshire Council’s leader has said.
With a planning application for the road due to be submitted in May, there was uncertainty over whether the scheme would need to be pushed back.
But council leader Peter Nutting has now said the project should still be able to press ahead as planned, though it may take longer to go before a planning committee depending on whether rules on gatherings are relaxed.
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Councillor Nutting said: “Formal consultation on for the North West Relief Road has already taken place.
“There probably does have to be some consultation with Shrewsbury Town Council and we are going to try and do that as soon as possible.
“We don’t see any need for a major delay.
“We expect there to be a planning inquiry over it so we have allowed time for that to happen.
“We still think the planning application will go in in May but it might take longer than we expected to get to committee.
“Where consultation hasn’t taken place with some of the parish councils we will try and arrange for that to take place over Skype.
“All the information is out there in the public eye so there is no reason town and parish councils can’t comment on it.”
The NWRR will connect the A5 at Welshpool Road roundabout in the west to the Ellesmere Road roundabout in the north, with new bridges over the River Severn and the Shrewsbury to Chester railway line.
Members of the public can still have their say by taking part in the consultation on the council’s website up until April 13.
Councillor Nutting added it was a “similar situation” with other council projects like the partial review of the Local Plan, which is due to be discussed by cabinet in May.
