Shrewsbury MP's plea for relief road progress as he criticises 'excessive' environment demands
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has written to environment secretary Therese Coffey, pleading for a controversial road project to be sped up.
Mr Kawczynski claims the Environment Agency has made "excessive" and "continuous" demands to slow the progress of the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road.
The four-mile road, which would stretch from Churncote island to Battlefield, would effectively complete a Shrewsbury ring road. More than 5,000 objections have been submitted against the planning application, with people raising concerns over the environmental impact and cost.
However, Shropshire Council wants to press ahead with the project, which the Conservative-led administration believes will bring cleaner air to the town centre and economic benefits for Shrewsbury and surrounding areas.
Mr Kawczynski has been a long-time supporter of the project, and has made a fresh call in his letter to Ms Coffey to get things moving.
"I write to express my concerns about the development of the North West Relief Road (NWRR) infrastructure project, the progress of which has recently been delayed by the Environment Agency’s (EA) request for additional information from Shropshire Council," said Mr Kawczynski in his letter.
"The application for the NWRR was due to go before the council’s planning committee at the beginning of next month but the EA has delayed this by raising concerns about the potential impact of drilling affecting the local water supply.
"I helped secure the funding for the NWRR in 2019, and its prevention from progressing has left me disappointed, to say the least. Shrewsbury has waited long enough to see the NWRR constructed, and the recent delay caused by the EA is holding back my town’s prosperity.
"Environmental factors need to be considered, but I feel that the EA’s continuous demands and ability to obstruct progress over the past four years are excessive.
"I ask for you to consider the current progress of the NWRR, to assess if there is anything your Department could do to move it forward. I look forward to receiving your response at the earliest opportunity."
