Online petition calls for Shrewsbury North West Relief Road to be ditched
An online petition has been launched against the proposed Shrewsbury North West Relief Road.
It is expected a planning application to build the Shrewsbury link road will be submitted to Shropshire Council this spring.
A number of groups have already raised concern about the multi-million pound highway, and now a petition has been launched.
It says the signatories request that Shropshire Council abandons its plans for the North West Relief Road (NWRR).
The e-petition states: "We the undersigned residents and business rate payers of Shropshire request that Shropshire Council cancels the construction of the NWRR because of the weight of evidence against its effectiveness, and undertakes instead a rigorous process of scrutiny/scoping of non-road building alternatives that can be demonstrated will reduce air pollution, carbon and congestion in Shrewsbury and will contribute to improved transport facilities across Shropshire.
"There is now a large body of evidence from similar road building schemes over 20+ years to show that the NWRR will not reduce congestion, will not attract new commerce and will hugely increase carbon output.
"An in-depth scoping exercise of a comprehensive Shropshire-wide bus service, segregated cycle lanes and good walking facilities will scrutinise an alternative approach that has been shown to be much more effective in achieving the stated aims.There is now a large body of evidence from similar road building schemes over 20+ years to show that the NWRR will not reduce congestion, will not attract new commerce and will hugely increase carbon output."
It adds: "An in-depth scoping exercise of a comprehensive Shropshire-wide bus service, segregated cycle lanes and good walking facilities will scrutinise an alternative approach that has been shown to be much more effective in achieving the stated aims."
The petition will run until June 19 and is likely to be considered at a full meeting of Shropshire Council.
It is accessible on the authority's website at shropshire.gov.uk/committee-services/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=500000037.
