Campaigners criticise bid to 'ram' North West Relief Road through planning committee within weeks
Campaigners have reacted with dismay to news Shropshire Council's North West Relief Road could go before a planning committee next month.
The authority's leader, Councillor Lezley Picton, revealed earlier this month that she still expects the application to be considered "before the summer holidays".
It would represent a significant step in the long-running and controversial proposal, which had originally been due go to the planning committee in late 2021.
Mike Streetly from Better Shrewsbury Transport (BeST), a campaign group calling for 'sustainable alternatives' to the North West Relief Road, accused the council of trying to "ram" the project through the planning process.
It comes after The Environment Agency (EA) wrote to the council in May saying it could not advise approving the project at this time – over concerns it has about 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.
However, it has emerged that Shropshire Council's own consultants, WSP, who are leading the project to build the road, responded to the EA earlier this month, saying they stand by the assessment that there is a 'very low risk' to the water supply from the potential construction work.
The EA had previously disagreed with the conclusion that the work would be "low risk".
WSP have also taken the EA to task over its assessment of the Environmental Impact Assessment prepared on behalf of the council to support the application.
In his letter, senior consultant Daniel Yardley, states: "On a number of occasions the EA question the robustness of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). We consider such comments to be unfounded."
Shropshire Council has also confirmed it will not be making any "fundamental alterations" to the proposals before they goes to committee.
Richard Marshall, the authority's cabinet member for highways, said: “No fundamental alterations will be made, rather we will only be making further points of clarification as we continue to engage with the local planning authority and statutory consultees to address any outstanding matters that they have raised in advance of any future committee date.”
Reacting to the news the application could be considered next month Mr Streetly said council was "desperate and flailing", and reiterated his call for the project to be dropped.
He said: "By trying to rush things through the planning committee, they are undermining the good work of the Environment Agency, which has a statutory duty to protect the town’s water supply."
He added: "The borehole at Shelton Rough is a major strategic resource. If it becomes contaminated, Shrewsbury and a large chunk of Shropshire will no longer have safe drinking water and the costs will run into hundreds of millions."
