Campaigner: Environment Agency's North West Relief Road questions 'must be answered'

The Environment Agency (EA) has cast doubt on the immediate future of the controversial Shropshire Council project, after writing to the authority to ask it not to approve planning permission for the scheme.

The council had been intending to take the application to its planning committee this month, on July 18.

But the EA said it is not confident over the council's plans – specifically the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the work.

The issue centres on the EA's worries about the potential for major drilling work at Shelton Rough, which is needed to build a bridge as part of the road, to contaminate Shrewsbury's drinking water.

The agency is also worried about the possibility of chemical spills from accidents on the road's roundabouts – and subsequent contamination of water supplies.

The EA has explicitly asked the council not to approve the scheme – while also saying it expects the authority to commit to paying to fix any damage to Shrewsbury's water supplies if it does go ahead without its backing.

Mike Streetly from the anti-relief road campaign group Better Shrewsbury Transport (BeST) said the public would be concerned at being asked to underwrite any potential problems.

He said: "The risks outlined in the Environment Agency’s letter are very significant.

"They advise Shropshire Council to commit to providing 'financial reparation options' if something goes wrong and the town’s drinking water supply is ruined.

"How much will that cost? Tens of millions? A hundred million? No one seems to know."

He added: "Shropshire residents deserve something better than word salad. We urgently need answers. The council is gambling with Shrewsbury’s water supply and its own solvency.

"By rushing the North West Relief Road to planning without satisfying key statutory stakeholders like the Environment Agency, the council is opening itself up to an expensive and lengthy legal challenge."