Hundreds have say on Shrewsbury relief road plan
More than 600 people had their say on plans for a “vital” relief road in Shrewsbury.
The public consultation into the future of Shrewsbury’s North West Relief Road closed yesterday, following a series of drop-in events.
It is not yet known what the response to the consultation has been.
Shropshire Council opened the three-week consultation on October 17 to garner views from members of the public over the proposed £104 million road.
The authority says it is on target to submit an outline business case to the Department for Transport (DfT) by December 22 and feedback from the consultation will be included.
The business case will allow the council to bid for funding for the project from government.
If a funding bid is submitted, the council is expecting a response from the Department for Transport in the spring of 2018.
The public exhibitions were held at the Shirehall, Darwin Centre, The Grange Youth Club, Baschurch Village Hall and Oxon Church Hall.
Staff were kept busy with lots of questions and lively discussions with people in favour and against the scheme.
Matt Johnson, Shropshire Council’s strategic transport and contracts manager, said the council expects the responses to the consultation to exceed 650.
He said: “We were pleased to be able to accommodate representatives from the Friends of the Earth who were given the opportunity to share their views on the scheme with the public.
“As the consultation draws to a close we are expecting responses to exceed 650.”
Shropshire Council will be asking the Government to fund about 80 per cent of the cost from a fund specially set up for large local transport schemes. The council expects to make a “local contribution” of about 20 per cent of the total cost.
The authority would also be responsible for any overspend on the relief road, which is “standard practice” according to Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, Steve Davenport.
Mr Davenport added that the road would be a good investment.
The creation of the road, which would link up with the Oxon Link Road and loop across the north of the town to the Battlefield roundabout, would increase prosperity and employment in Shrewsbury, as well as cutting down on traffic jams, and improving air quality.
The consultation closed yesterday.
