Town council to take opposition to North West Relief Road direct to Government

A motion opposing the road was overwhelmingly supported at a meeting on Monday evening, when councillors said spiralling construction costs and the environmental impacts of the project could not be justified.

The vote means the council, which has already formally objected to the planning application, will write to Mr Shapps and transport minister Baroness Vere to make clear its total opposition to the road.

The motion was proposed by Labour councillor Rosemary Dartnall, who said: “Shrewsbury Town Council does not accept the case for the North West Relief Road (NWRR) has been made, instead the council sees the proposed road as damaging to the town and its residents.

“The only beneficiaries, should this project go ahead, will be the developers involved in building the road and the many new homes that will fill the area subsequently.

“Building a new road is an outdated, financially risky response to the transport problems Shrewsbury faces.

“The most urgent transport need for our town is to reduce motor traffic volume and this can only be achieved via a modal shift – removing cars from the roads by improving public transport and creating safe walking and cycling routes, all of which will contribute to a modern, healthier, cleaner and more pleasant environment in our town.

“Shrewsbury Town Council wishes to move forward and does not want this damaging road forced on the town.”

Councillor Dartnall said the planning application relied on “out-of-date” information from when the outline business case was prepared in 2017, and since then “construction costs have escalated and the climate emergency has worsened”.

This was supported by Councillor Rob Wilson, who said: “Somehow magically the project will all be on time and built magically under-budget, reduce carbon, everything else we’re being told.

“There are 4,500 public objections – a record in Shropshire.

“There has to be another look at this, not just blindly pressing on.

“If Shropshire Council isn’t going to look at this properly again then we have to get the Department for Transport to do that.”

Councillor David Vasmer, Lib Dem group leader, said the road was an “absolute disaster” and was likely to far exceed the estimated £80 million cost, while mayor Julian Dean said it was “highly likely to collapse” when the full business case is prepared at the end of this year.

However not everyone was in agreement. Councillor Alex Phillips, Conservative group leader, said it did not have to be an “either or” situation, and the road should go ahead in addition to improved public transport and active travel.

He did agree that “the business case has fundamentally changed” due to the rising costs being experienced in the construction industry, adding: “What I would like to see from Shropshire Council is full transparency on where the costs are now.

“Although I support the relief road in principle, alongside public transport investments for Shrewsbury, I don’t think that should be at any financial cost.”

Green councillor Chris Lemon spoke in favour of the motion and proposed also opposing plans announced last week by Arriva to scrap or reduce a number of its bus services in the town.

This was backed by other members, with Councillor Kevin Pardy describing transport in Shrewsbury as a “disaster” and Councillor Vasmer adding that there was also a major problem with reliability of existing bus services.

Councillor Lemon’s amendment was voted through, with one abstention.

Members then voted in support of the anti-NWRR motion, with 15 for and two against.