Independent retailers in Shrewsbury town centre would be left bankrupt if a controversial congestion charge was introduced, it has been claimed.

Borough councillor Claire Wild told last night’s Shrewsbury Question Time that sole traders helped make the town centre unique.

But she warned many would face financial ruin brought on by a fall in trade if the new road pricing scheme was introduced to the river loop.

The scheme is being considered by Shropshire County Council, which has been investigating road pricing as part of a package of measures to tackle congestion problems and air quality in Shrewsbury.

However Councillor Wild told audience members at the Music Hall it was not worth the risk of using Shrewsbury as an experiment to see if such a scheme worked.

She said: “It would be too late for the sole traders of the town who would be bankrupted and gone.”

Options being considered as part of the scheme include toll roads, pay-per-mile, pay to enter zones and congestion charging.

But Councillor Wild suggested the introduction of an electronic tram system as the best way of reducing town centre congestion.

Borough council leader Peter Nutting said he was against congestion charges and said many shoppers would instead take their business to Chester and Telford.

He fears Shrewsbury was being blackmailed into accepting congestion charging so it would generate vital funding for the controversial £70 million North West Relief Road.

But Labour leader Danny Moore argued something needed to be done to take traffic out of the centre.