More than £1.6 million is to be spent on designs and preparation work for the proposed Shrewsbury North West Relief Road – which may never actually be built.Most of the money – being taken from the Local Transport Plan – will be used to pay council consultants Mouchel Parkman.

It has raised fears that other road and transport improvement initiatives across Shropshire will be abandoned or delayed.

The figure is the amount that will have been spent by the end of 2007 and may continue to rise.

A further £601,000 is also coming from the budget to match a Government grant for the Transport Innovation Fund study, which it hoped will win the council up to £100 million to create a “world-class” public transport system in Shrewsbury, including the building of the relief road.

But a successful bid will have to include some form of congestion charging in the town centre and the idea is running into fierce opposition.

A report being presented to the full county council next Friday reveals that by the end of the project an estimated £2,977,066 will have been spent with consultants.

This can be broken down into £1,308,351 for the Transport Innovation Fund study and £1,668,715 for the new road.

Figures also show the pressures that exist within the Local Transport Plan budget.

Spending on bridge maintenance, for example, will be cut by £450,000 while £332,000 will be taken out of public transport.

In addition there will be £161,000 less for environmental quality and regeneration schemes and spending on improvements for cyclists will be reduced by £125,000.

The report takes the form of a series of replies from cabinet member for the environment, John Everall, to questions asked by Shrewsbury member and Labour group leader, Alan Mosley.

Councillor Mosley said today: “I am concerned about the way the whole project is being handled. I think it will need closer scrutiny.”

A public and stakeholder consultation is planned for early 2008.

By Dave Morris