Your Voice Your Vote: Relief road a key issue

Work to build the North West Relief Road could begin later this year

A bypass that would complete a ring of A-roads around Shrewsbury is one of the issues on the minds of voters ahead of local elections in Shropshire on Thursday.

The four-mile-long single carriageway "needs to go ahead", according to Shropshire HGV driver Kyle Longmuir, who got in touch with us via Your Voice Your Vote.

The 38-year-old said the North West Relief Road would stop village roads being used as rat runs and improve air quality in the town centre.

All of the main political parties fielding candidates in Shropshire Council elections on 1 May are against the project, except the Conservative group.

"Professionally, I drive an HGV and often need to get around Shrewsbury and face similar problems [to those travelling in the town centre]... it is impractical to drive through town," said Mr Longmuir, who lives in Shawbury.

"So, if there's an accident or heavy traffic, especially around holidays, then it costs a lot of time."

He frequently drives through the town centre to visit his wife's parents in Copthorne or take his young son to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

"The centre of town is often the shortest and quickest route [in a car], despite the congestion. Building the relief road would make life a lot simpler and safer for everyone," Mr Longmuir added.

'More cars will come in'

However, there are various reasons why people are opposed to a new road, linking the A5 to the west of the town with the A5124 to the north east at Battlefield.

Environmental campaign groups claim it would destroy the countryside, create excessive greenhouse emissions and result in veteran trees being felled.

Others like Debbie Carvell, who runs a clothing shop in Shrewsbury, thinks the road would not solve the town's traffic problems.

Debbie Carvell has owned Carvell on the Square since November 2022

"If you build more roads, then you just create more traffic and I think it would be a really bad decision to do that," she said.

"More cars will come in, instead of using the Park and Ride [or] bikes or walking into town."

The cost of the project is another reason why many people, especially outside the county town, object to the road.

The latest estimate puts the total cost of the project at £215m - more than treble the 2019 price tag of £71m.

It is one of the reasons why the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green groups on the council wrote a joint letter to the government in February to say they would cancel the funding application as "a first priority" if they take control on 2 May.

The letter, signed by Labour leader Rosemary Dartnall and Liberal Democrat Roger Evans, criticised the relief road for offering "no credible solution to the current and future traffic problems Shrewsbury and Shropshire face".

The Environment Agency has warned that building over the River Severn could contaminate the town's drinking water

It means the road is almost certainly doomed if the Conservatives do not maintain their majority of councillors.

National polling and the decline of Tory support at the last general election suggest it will be challenging for the party to hold on to power after next week's vote.

Reform UK's national leader, Nigel Farage, mocked the price of the road during a recent visit to Shropshire.

The party, which has candidates standing for all 74 seats available, said it was "pro-road" but very concerned by the rising cost of the project.

'Shrewsbury clogged'

The Conservative group on Shropshire Council said the relief road would take a considerable amount of traffic out of the town centre, improving air quality and the local economy.

The party's concerns about traffic problems are shared by local businessman Tony Bywater, who is chairman of the caravan and motorhome dealership Salop Leisure, based near the busy Emstrey Island.

Tony Bywater said traffic around Shrewsbury was impacting local businesses

"Shrewsbury is clogged and it's not good for our businesses," he said.

"Our staff are having to leave home half an hour earlier than normal just to get to work on time. It seems to be getting worse every day.

"Shrewsbury is a fantastic place to live and work and the onus is on Shropshire Council to ensure that the town continues to prosper."

You can find a full list of candidates standing in Shropshire Council elections on 1 May here.