The North West Relief Road – here's what Shrewsbury's new MP thinks about the project
For years Shrewsbury's North West Relief Road was a priority for the town's MP but last month's general election has seen a significant change of approach.
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Former Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski was a vociferous advocate of the plans for the controversial road, but the Conservative lost his seat in the July 4 poll and his successor, Labour's Julia Buckley, has a very different take.
Mrs Buckley is arguing that the money already secured for the road – around £54m from the Department for Transport (DfT) – should be used on different projects.
She says the alternatives could reduce congestion for long-suffering residents, and unlock business growth, which is one of the Labour Government's key priorities.
It is worth considering the current status of the project, and the issues that still have to be resolved if it were to go ahead.
Firstly Shropshire Council, which wants to build the road, does not currently have enough money to pay for the project.
The road was previously estimated at costing around £80m, but those costs are now expected to have risen above £120m – leaving the council needing more money from the DfT before the project can go ahead.
Any decision on that funding will only be made after the council submits what is known as a 'full business case' to the government later this year.
That full business case can also only be submitted once the council has an agreement with Severn Trent and the Environment Agency over planning conditions that both organisations require for measures they have demanded to protect the source of Shrewsbury's water supply at Shelton.
