'Utter shambles': Anti-Shrewsbury relief road campaigners say project delays are council's own making
It is not 'tree-huggers' or NIMBYs delaying Shropshire Council's controversial North West Relief Road - it's the authority's own decisions, say campaigners.
After months of discussions, the Environment Agency (EA) has said it is not prepared to support the plans for the road as they are – due to concerns over the potential impact on Shrewsbury's drinking water.
Those concerns centre on the impact of piling work for foundations for a viaduct at Shelton Rough, as well as the drainage plans for the Holyhead Roundabout.
In its letter the EA said it had advised the council to choose a different route for the road.
EA planning specialist Mark Davies 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."
See also:
Mr Davies was also 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."
The move is another headache for Shropshire Council, which has faced repeated delays in trying to get the proposal before a planning committee, with the date now pushed back to summer.
While the authority has vowed to work with the EA to address its concerns, campaigners opposed to the Shrewsbury road have described the process as a 'shambles'.
Mike Streetly, from Better Transport Shrewsbury, who has been a vocal opponent of the scheme, said the latest developments would likely mean more money being spent on the project.
He said: "What an utter shambles the NWRR application has become. Shropshire Council has spent over £23m in taxpayer cash and several years planning this road and it has chosen a route that will put Shrewsbury’s drinking water supply at risk."
Mr Streetly said the issues raised by the EA are not a "minor technicality".
He added "The council should be doing everything it can to protect the borehole at Shelton. Instead, it's ignoring all the advice and gambling with its safety."
Mr Streetly said the council was now faced with a difficult decision over how to proceed – if it cannot resolve the issues raised by the EA.
He said: "Shropshire Council is now trapped between a rock and a hard place. Either they carry on regardless without the approval of the Environment Agency, opening the door to a huge court case; or they go back to the drawing board again and waste yet more time and cash.
"Forget about tree-huggers and NIMBYs, the biggest obstacle to getting the North West Relief Road built is the council’s own failures."
