Busy Shrewsbury road set for major safety project as part of Government's growth plan

Belle Vue Road, also known as the A5191, has been selected as one of 138 roads and infrastructure projects that the Government aims to fast-track to get Britain "back on the road to recovery".

Full plans are yet to be revealed, but it is understood work will be done to make the road easier to navigate for pedestrians and cyclists.

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski said: “We need to get Britain building infrastructure again if we want to unleash the potential for growth across the country.

“That is why I welcome the A5191 Shrewsbury Safer Road Scheme being selected as one of the high-quality infrastructure projects under the new Growth Plan to boost the economy. This Conservative government is slashing red tape to incentivise investment and deliver new roads, offshore wind farms, and housing.

“By investing in the infrastructure our country needs, we are creating jobs and opportunities across Shrewsbury and Atcham and the whole country, whilst laying the foundations for a strong, competitive economy.”

To speed up delivery of the A5191 project as well as others up and down the country, the Government is allowing some developments to proceed under planning regimes set out in the Highways Act 1980, which carries less stringent criteria than the Planning Act 2008.

In a letter to Mr Kawczynski, Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevalyan said: "The Government has put planning reform at the centre of their growth agenda. This is because investment and economic growth can be hampered by lengthy and disproportionate planning processes. Transport is an economic enabler and driver of growth and the quicker we can deliver projects, the quicker this growth can be realised.

"A key feature of the changes is to allow some highways projects to proceed under the planning regimes set out in the Highways Act 1980. This is instead of the nationally significant infrastructure project regime set out in the Planning Act 2008 which is only really proportionate for very large and significant schemes. A more proportionate regime will mean that developers will be faced with less excessive burdens to deliver less complex or discreet but still important road improvements.

"Other key changes to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure include reducing the burden of environmental assessments, reducing bureaucracy in the consultation process and reforming habitats and species regulations, while still protecting individual rights and environmental needs.

"You will also be aware that once schemes have managed to navigate the planning process, they can often be held up for years, due to multiple judicial reviews. I’m pleased to say that consideration is also being given to options to avoid judicial review claims which cause unnecessary delays to delivery."

The Transport Secretary added: "I am confident these changes in themselves will supercharge delivery of transport infrastructure, however the announcement on today will also announce specific projects for accelerated delivery, including the A5191 Safer Road Scheme, Local EV Infrastructure Fund, and Rapid Charging Fund which will benefit your constituents and others nearby.

"There is also significant scope to showcase transport as an economic enabler and driver of growth in the creation of new ‘Investment Zones’. In particular where the locations of zones could overlap with planned sustainable transport investments, synergies could accelerate growth and development.

"My officials will work with HMT and other government departments in the coming days and weeks to overcome barriers to delivery, and where local authorities or agencies are the delivery leads, it is the Government’s intent to support where possible in acceleration."