Shrewsbury relief road: Green leader told to accept reality

Councillor Dan Morris said it was "extremely regrettable" that trees would be felled

The councillor responsible for Shrewsbury's north west relief road has told the leader of the local Green Party he should accept that the road will be built.

Councillor Julian Dean asked the authority not to fell veteran trees until planning conditions were agreed.

Conservative Dan Morris accused him of "stirring up a minority of vocal activists".

He said: "frankly it's a bit lame to be going on about these nine trees."

Mr Morris, who is responsible for transport, told a meeting: "The council sees this as extremely regrettable, but the undertaking is to plant 84 new trees to replace these [nine trees] in particular, which in time may then also reach veteran status."

Mr Morris was asked the question about the trees twice during a Shropshire Council meeting.

In his response he said: "We will follow the procedure as set down and whatever that entails we will do."

Speaking about the road project itself, he said: "The Government has committed in public to fully fund the road, the full business case is coming.

"It is going to happen, this road is going to get built, and really you ought to accept the fact that the road is going to get built."

HS2 savings

Planning approval to build the road was granted by Shropshire Council's Northern Planning Committee in October, with up-to-date costings to be provided in a business case to the Department for Transport next year.

The project - first proposed in the mid-1980s - has been earmarked for money saved by the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2, Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper said.

It was promised £54m in November 2019 but MP Daniel Kawczynski last year asked for another £30m amid claims of rising costs.

The relief road was proposed as a way of reducing congestion in the town centre and has received support from some in outlying communities who have welcomed traffic being taken away from their homes.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.