Severn Trent chief responds to Shrewsbury residents' concerns about relief road plan
The Chief Executive of Severn Trent says "important detail" must be submitted ahead of work on Shrewsbury's North West Relief Road being allowed to start.
Liv Garfield made the comments in response to an open letter from more than 250 Shrewsbury residents who had written to the utilities firm outlining their concerns that work on the road could potentially damage the supply of the town's water, through a borehole at Shelton.
The controversial road was approved last month – but due to the concerns from the Environment Agency and Severn Trent about the possibility for harm to Shrewsbury's water supply, a number of conditions must be agreed before any work can start.
In her response to the open letter Mrs Garfield said Severn Trent "simply cannot entertain potential losses to your water supply, on a temporary or permanent basis".
She said the firm had been working on the issue for "a number of years now" and had "expressed concerns" since the road was proposed.
Because the application has now been approved any updates and correspondence will no longer be publicly displayed on Shropshire Council's website – as they were during the application process for the road.
The issue was raised in the open letter, with signatories saying they were concerned about the planning conditions being agreed "behind closed doors".
But Mrs Garfield said she would be happy to keep residents informed and "arrange for updates".
She said: "Thank you to you and everyone else listed for contacting me on this. I of course understand the concerns that you and everyone else have expressed on this, and that is why my colleagues have been working hard on this for a number of years now.
"Since the road was proposed we have expressed concerns about the potential impacts during both construction and operation, and you will have seen the numerous letters we have submitted to this effect in response to the planning application.
"Our hydrogeologists have worked closely with the applicant’s consultants to understand the groundwater system and how our supply assets could potentially be impacted during construction and operation of the road.
"After numerous discussions on these matters, informed by a ground investigation programme and modelling, we have accepted an approach that requires important detail being submitted and agreed through planning conditions as you note.
"This process will give ourselves and the Environment Agency important roles in agreeing a protocol to minimise impacts during construction and a long-term management plan for the road drainage system through the source protection zones.
"This will ensure that the construction and operation of the road takes appropriate precautions to avoid any negative impacts on our supply to our customers.
"You are of course correct that the discharge of planning conditions isn’t a process involving public consultation.
"However, I can assure you that my team will continue to take this process very seriously, as we simply cannot entertain potential losses to your water supply, on a temporary or permanent basis.
"In terms of keeping residents informed of progress I am happy to arrange for updates to be provided by my team and will ask my Town Planning manager Gareth Smith to contact you directly to discuss how this might best work as things progress."
