Major blow as Shrewsbury relief road plans hit by Environment Agency drinking water concerns
The controversial plans for Shrewsbury's North West Relief Road have been hit with a major blow after concerns were raised about its impact on drinking water.
The Environment Agency (EA) has submitted its long-awaited response to Shropshire Council's plans for the road – saying it could not advise the proposal is given planning permission "at this time".
The comments come in a letter submitted to Shropshire Council from EA planning specialist Mark Davies.
It comes after a lengthy delay in the EA submitting its opinion on the plan – one of the major reasons that the application has still not been considered by a planning committee, despite original expectations for a decision before the end of 2021.
The project would complete the ring road around Shrewsbury, but has been met with considerable opposition, with more than 4,500 objections from the public, while Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Oswestry, and Bridgnorth town councils have all called for the scheme to be abandoned.
Shropshire Council's administration is fully committed to the plan, which it says is vital to take traffic out of Shrewsbury's town centre, and will provide economic benefits – a view echoed by Shrewsbury & Atcham's Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski.
Mr Davies's letter to the council says that the EA's concerns centre on the potential impact on Shrewsbury's drinking supplies from piling work for foundations for the Shelton Rough River Severn Viaduct, and the drainage system on the planned Holyhead Roundabout.
He says: "Having reviewed the key supplementary environmental documents evaluating the potential risk posed by the application to the groundwater environment, our outstanding concerns remain focused on the proposed development within the Drinking Water Protected Area and Source Protection Zones designated around the Severn Trent Water public water supply sources.
"This reflects our concerns about the sensitivity and criticality of the Shelton potable water supply, which is a strategic resource, on which continuity of Shrewsbury’s drinking water relies."
He adds: "With respect to spillage risk to groundwater and public water supply during operation, there could be irreversible/significant impact."
In his letter Mr Davies says that the EA had advised the council to choose a different route for the road
He said: "We advised that progression of the current route in this area would be complex, it is highly sensitive and there are risks that need to be fully understood/accepted if this is to be pursued."
Mr Davies is critical of the council's work to set out the potential impact of construction for the viaduct, contained within its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
He said: "We consider and have previously advised, that sufficient detail should be provided within the EIA on this.
"We see this as the key document in which risk and mitigation control is being vested to provide assurances for the continuity of public water supply sources for Shrewsbury in context to the proposed development at Shelton."
Shropshire Council has said that despite the response it is confident of reassuring the EA and still expects the application to go to committee in "early summer".
A council spokesman said: “We continue to work closely with the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water to give them reassurance in respect of any potential impacts of the development on water and the environment and we continue to feel confident that these concerns can be addressed.
"To allow an appropriate time for that response for matters to be resolved, it is hoped that the application will be considered by the planning committee early in the summer."
