The case for and against building the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road

The case for the building of North West Relief Road

Links between the north and west of Shrewsbury are presently very poor, according to Shropshire Council.

It argues on its website for the need to “complete the circle” so that the town finally has an effective ring road.

Talking of the need for the North West Relief Road, it states: “The most direct route passes through the ‘river loop’ and consists entirely of single carriageway, all-purpose roads, including residential and shopping streets.

“Congestion on these routes causes delays and makes journeys unreliable. As a result, some of the traffic between north and west uses other, longer routes to avoid the town centre.

“Extra traffic on the distributor ring road and the outer bypass adds to the congestion on these important routes and reduces the resilience of the network. Some traffic uses the network of small lanes to the northwest of Shrewsbury as rat-runs to avoid the town altogether.”

The council argues that other problems arise directly from the fundamental weakness in Shrewsbury’s transport network, adding: “Noise, visual intrusion and poor air quality affect people in residential areas and the town centre, as well as people walking and cycling.

“Accident rates are higher on roads not designed to modern standards. Journeys to work and for business can be slow and unreliable, adding to the cost of transport (including public transport) and discouraging investment.

“As Shrewsbury continues to develop and grow, these problems are expected to get worse, affecting the town’s economy and local people’s quality of life.”

The council says the NWRR will provide a “new, high standard, direct route” between the north and west of Shrewsbury, offering big time savings for road users.

It claims a peak-time journey from A5 Churncote to A49 Battlefield would take about six minutes using the NWRR, instead of about 20 minutes through the town centre or 15 minutes on the bypass.

The council adds: “Traffic will therefore transfer from the existing routes, reducing congestion and making them more efficient. These benefits will be felt over a wide area, including the outer bypasses, rural lanes, nearby villages and communities, as well as the roads leading into and through the town centre.

“The NWRR will also help to reduce noise, accidents and carbon emissions, and will improve air quality in areas where people shop, work and live.

“It will give Shrewsbury a more efficient and resilient road network and support the town’s continued growth and economic development.”

The case against – cost, water pollution and loss of green fields

Bad for the environment and bad for Shrewsbury – that's the argument from those opposing the North West Relief Road.

Questions have been raised about the impact on the construction on green fields around Shrewsbury. Fears of water contamination have been looked into and the rising cost of the project have been criticised as well as the amount of carbon it will pump into the atmosphere.

While the Conservative-led Shropshire Council wants to see the project through, other parties have opposed it, forming a coalition of protest that takes on many strands.

One resent development was Severn Trent agreeing that testing over the potential for the road's construction to contaminate Shrewsbury's drinking water could be agreed as a condition of planning permission – and not carried out before the application is considered.

Ahead of the crunch decision, Lib Dem, Labour, and Green Party Councillors all called for a re-think, while campaigners described the plan as a "Halloween horror" and pledged to continue the battle in the courts if necessary.Liberal Democrat Councillor Rob Wilson said the council's focus – and funding – should be elsewhere.

He said: "I am very sceptical about the Government’s commitment to spend nearly £200m on transport infrastructure in Shropshire. However, if true, the council should be looking again at the priorities for the whole county and considering whether four miles of additional ring road around Shrewsbury is the best use of public money."

Despite the call for the funding to be used elsewhere, government money previously confirmed for the North West Relief Road, totalling around £54m, can only be used for that specific project, although Shropshire Council could use its own funding on other schemes.

Meanwhile, Shropshire Council's Labour group leader, Councillor Julia Buckley, said the plan had "little credibility", and questioned if government promises over funding could be relied upon. She also questioned the potential for pollution, adding: "Has the DfT fully costed the road and the lifetime commitment to mitigating the water bore hole contamination?"

Green Party Councillor Julian Dean said carbon emissions from the project would be "unacceptable", and warned the construction would cause "irreparable environmental damage".

He added: "It seems the people of Shropshire will now be asked to accept 'planning conditions' to protect our water supplies. These conditions may well be difficult to enforce and add costs and further delay."

Campaigner Mike Streetly, from Better Shrewsbury Transport, said they would be prepared to continue the battle against the plans – including in the courts.

He said: "We’re prepared to fight this all the way to the bitter end, including a legal challenge. On the basis of recent performance, who would trust Shropshire Council to look after our drinking water?"

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