Shrewsbury relief road decision due today more than two years after plan submitted

Shropshire Council's plans for the highway, which would complete the ring-road around Shrewsbury, have met with committed resistance from environmental groups, while there has been a long-running disagreement with both the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water.

The project has also attracted opposition from town councils in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bridgnorth and Ludlow, but members of the Conservative administration on Shropshire Council argue that the 'silent majority' are in favour of the plan.

Despite that suggestion the overwhelming majority of responses to the planning application have been objections – around 5,300, compared to 230 in support.

There is also the looming threat of legal action from a business opposed to the route the road will take.

But, after a succession of delays the 11-member Northern Planning Committee will meet today at 2pm to decide on the proposal.

The meeting has been arranged solely to deal with the application, and will be taking place in the full council chamber at Shirehall – instead of the authority's smaller committee rooms.

It is also being shown live on the internet.

The report prepared for the committee runs to 218 pages – and recommends that they give the green light to the proposal.

That recommendation comes against the background of numerous concerns about the project's environmental impact – as well as worries about the potential to affect Shrewsbury's drinking water.

But the conclusion to the report states: "It is considered that on balance the public benefits and the exceptional circumstances arising from the proposals outweigh the harm resulting from the development overall."

Despite that recommendation the report outlines how the Environment Agency (EA) has still not been sufficiently reassured to give its blessing to the scheme.

The EA has wanted detailed evidence that drilling work for the foundations required for the road's bridge, will not contaminate water supplies.

But the report states that the council was in an "unprecedented position" and has turned to a third-party consultant for reassurance over its proposals.

It comes as Severn Trent Water (STW) has however agreed to the council providing the reassurances as part of conditions of any planning permission.

The report outlines the council position, stating: "Clearly, the views of the EA as a statutory consultee need to be afforded great weight, however in this instance the local planning authority (LPA) has been placed in an unprecedented position with the EA challenging the content of the Environmental Statement (ES) and not being prepared to enter into dialogue over appropriate conditions in advance of a committee decision.

"Therefore, an independent third party consultant (Waterman) were commissioned to undertake a detailed review the ES on behalf of the LPA to ensure that sufficient information and clarification was provided to provide the a sound basis on which to proceed to determination of this application.

"Waterman has supported the position that the ES is robust. This along with the conditional support of Severn Trent Water has allowed the LPA to continue to proceed to determination."

It added: "Given that STW are responsible for drinking water it is considered that if they are content to deal with this matter by way of a pre-commencement condition as they have indicated then the matter should be dealt with in this way, irrespective of the stance of the EA.

"Whilst, it would have been preferrable to have agreement between all parties in advance of consideration of the application, but given that the dialogue has been ongoing for over two and a half years since the submission of the application in February 2021 the LPA has sought external independent advice."

The council report lists what it considers the benefits of the scheme, with its economic growth team saying it will "reduce journey times and increase connectivity to employment sites particularly Battlefield Enterprise Park and Oxon Business Park."

It also argues it will "reduce congestion within Shrewsbury Town Centre", as well as "reduce rat running on local streets".

It adds: "The road will provide the basis for further economic growth within Shropshire."

But Shropshire Wildlife Trust has urged the committee to reject the proposal, warning of the impact of the landscape and wildlife.

It said: "Members of the Planning Committee should consider the legacy they will leave for future Salopians who should be able to observe and enjoy rich, diverse and flourishing local habitats for our precious wildlife.

"Some vague and distant notion of economic growth and disingenuous arguments about reducing traffic, pollution and congestion do not justify environmental destruction on this scale, particularly when there are other more effective, environmentally sound and sustainable means of achieving these objectives."

The council's own ecology team also objects, stating: "The proposed development will lead to the direct loss of veteran/ancient trees which are irreplaceable assets."

Those concerns are echoed by The Woodlands Trust, which states: "The Woodland Trust objects to this proposal due to the direct loss of veteran trees, which are recognised as irreplaceable habitats in both national and local planning policy."

Other concerns have related to the carbon impact of construction, with the report saying it will generate 27,500 tonnes – describing the amount as "significant".

But the conclusion of the report says planning officers are satisfied by the council's pledge to 'own' the carbon created.

It states: "As many objectors have pointed out Shropshire Council declared a climate emergency in May 2019 which included an ambition to be carbon neutral as an authority by 2030. The NWRR project is considered to be incompatible with these ambitions by many, however the Council in choosing to pursue this scheme has made a commitment to own all the resultant carbon produced both from the build and when it is operational."

If approved the focus will turn to funding for the project, with the government having recently declared it would pay for 100 per cent of the scheme using money from the scrapped HS2 proposals – although the full cost has not yet been revealed.