Plan to scrap bypass revealed ahead of election

Rosemary Dartnall replaced Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley as Labour group leader

Three opposition parties on Shropshire Council have written jointly to the government to say they will scrap Shrewsbury's north west relief road (NWRR) if they win May's election.

The controversial bypass is being pursued by the current Conservative-run administration, which is hoping construction will get underway later this year and said it remained committed to it.

Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green groups want it scrapped, claiming it is too expensive and will not solve traffic problems.

The relief road would complete the ring road around Shrewsbury, but its cost, construction and impact on the environment has divided opinion for many years.

Funding for the road has yet to be secured by the council, despite the Conservative government promising in 2023 to "fully fund" the project using money from the second leg of HS2 being scrapped.

Labour has since put the road under review, leaving a huge question mark over how the council would meet a funding shortfall of £136m should the commitment be withdrawn.

It is widely predicted the project would cost more than £200m.

"The cost is absolutely vast, and the case for the road hasn't been made," said Rosemary Dartnall, leader of the Labour group and author of the letter that was sent to the Department for Transport.

"Building roads alone does not solve traffic congestion – the evidence is clearly understood.

"We must be far more inventive and deal with local congestion problems where they exist while offering real alternatives to encourage residents to travel by other means," she added.

The NWRR would cross the River Severn.

Tens of millions of pounds have already been spent on the project, and cancelling it could result in the council having to foot a bill close to £40m.

Dartnall said a new administration would ask the government to help with the expenditure that has already been incurred.

The NWRR would connect Churncote Island on the A5 to the west of Shrewsbury to the A528 Ellesmere Road in the north, completing an A-road circuit of Shrewsbury.

It has received the backing of several healthcare and emergency services, including the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion.

Lezley Picton became leader after the last Shropshire Council election in 2021

Conservative council leader Lezley Picton insisted: "The Council remains clear that the case for the NWRR is strong.

"It underpins the future sustainability of the local economy, the move to more sustainable transport, more effective delivery of the services local people rely on, and tackling congestion."

She added that she looked forward to demonstrating the scheme's value to a government which "has stated it is determined to ensure Britain overcomes organised opposition to schemes that benefit the country".

A key report into the feasibility of the bypass is unlikely to be discussed by councillors until after May's council elections.

The road cannot be built until the full business case (FBC) is approved by the council and sent to the Department for Transport for its approval.

A number of conditions agreed after the road was granted planning permission will need to be fulfilled before the FBC is signed off.

A report will go to full council later this month, which will provide information on the cost of the road and outline possible funding options, including other sources should government funding be withdrawn.