Shropshire council sets date to determine long-running bypass scheme

The proposed road would link northern and western parts of Shrewsbury, benefitting businesses and reducing congestions, the council said

A planning committee has set a date to decide on an application for a long-running Shropshire bypass project.

Shropshire Council's northern planning committee will determine the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road on 31 October.

It follows an announcement by Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper the scheme will go ahead with money saved by scrapping phase two of the HS2 line.

The scheme had previously been in doubt due to rising costs, with contributors considering withdrawing funds.

The North West Relief Road is one of a number of Midlands transport projects set to receive a share of £10bn HS2 funding.

The council has spent £24m on preparatory work for the single carriageway route, which will link northern and western parts of Shrewsbury and include a new bridge over the River Severn.

It previously secured £54.4m from the Department of Transport for the project in 2019.

The scheme's progress has been hit by a number of controversies, including calls for resignations after councillors voted to back £95m of extra borrowing last month after the figure was mistakenly included in a report.

There have also been protests about the environmental impact of the proposed route.

The agenda and reports will be published five working days before the planning meeting, which will be held at Shirehall in Shrewsbury at 14:00 BST.