Shrewsbury MP under fire over Environment Agency contacts – but says he is just 'doing my job'
Shrewsbury's MP, who has been criticised for his contact with the Environment Agency over Shropshire Council's controversial North West Relief Road project, has rejected the claims as "spin" - saying he is just "doing my job".
A campaigner opposed to the North West Relief Road (NWRR) submitted a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) asking the number of times Shrewsbury & Atcham MP, Daniel Kawczynski had contacted the Environment Agency (EA) about the project.
The response shows the MP has contacted the EA on more than 40 occasions since last May – either by e-mail, Whatsapp, letter or a physical meeting.
The messages include a letter to the Environment Secretary Terese Coffey where Mr Kawczynski says: "Environmental factors need to be considered but I feel that the EA's continuous demands and ability to obstruct the process over the past four years are excessive."
The issue comes as the EA remains the main stumbling block to Shropshire Council securing planning permission for the NWRR, due to the agency's long-standing concerns about the potential for construction work to damage Shrewsbury's water supply.
The same concerns have also been raised by Severn Trent, with the council recently abandoning a plan to take the application to its planning committee for determination until the issue is resolved.
Mike Streetly, from Better Transport Shrewsbury, which is opposed to the NWRR, was responsible for submitting the FOI, and described the frequency of messages as "disturbing", saying the MP's actions repeatedly "undermine" the EA, which is trying to "protect the drinking water we all rely on".
