Government minister defends Environment Agency over relief road delays
A government minister has defended the Environment Agency over the ongoing delays to a decision on Shrewsbury's controversial North West Relief Road.
The Shropshire Council project is still grinding its way through the planning process, with no date yet confirmed for the application to go before its planning committee.
The most significant barrier to the project proceeding has been a failure to address concerns raised by the Environment Agency to the satisfaction of the organisation.
Those worries were reiterated on September 1, when an Environment Agency specialist said that more information was needed before it could be assured over the project.
In a letter to Shropshire Council it said: "We are not sufficiently reassured at this stage based on matters that need more detail and advise that the Environmental Impact Assessment needs to be robust, and risks/mitigation fully explored, prior to determination."
The EA has however said that if the council does decide to go ahead and approve the plans, it could impose conditions ensuring the concerns are addressed before work begins.
Now Rebecca Pow, Government Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience, has responded to a campaigner opposing the relief road, with her position on the delays.
