There is not a “snowball in hell’s chance” of money being found to build a £100 million North West Relief Road for Shrewsbury, a council group has been told.

The warning was sounded last night as Shropshire Council’s community services scrutiny committee examined the findings of a major £100,000 consultation on plans for the road.

The previous Government signalled support for the scheme but it is currently on hold – along with a number of other major schemes – awaiting the outcome of a national spending review which will decide what funding is available.

Martin Taylor Smith, the council’s portfolio holder for strategic planning and transport, told the special meeting of the committee that he had asked MPs in Shropshire what the chances were of getting the cash to build the road.

He said that, to paraphrase one of the MPs, there wasn’t a “snowball in hell’s chance” of getting the necessary funding.

Councillor Taylor Smith said he didn’t think the council could look at the project until 2020 at the earliest.

Tom McCabe, director of community services, said the council might have to spend up to £10 million on developing plans before the first sod of the road was cut.

Councillor John Everall said he had no doubts that the road was needed as Shrewsbury would experience considerable growth over the next 15 years.

He said traffic congestion in the town was a reality and it was going to get a lot worse.

But co-opted member Dave Green, who is also a member of Friends of the Earth, said traffic levels had fallen over the last five years and the council was capable of managing traffic without the need for a relief road.

He said the council was doing a “tremendous job” in keep levels down.

Committee chairman, Alan Mosley proposed, and it was agreed, that the council’s ruling cabinet be told the scheme appeared to be facing a long delay and there was concern that it might be too costly to pursue.

The cabinet will be urged to consider alternative ways of solving congestion, including further work on an integrated transport strategy for the town.

A report on the consultation exercise, which took place during April and May, said the majority of people who responded were in favour of building the North West Relief Road (NWRR).

It claimed the majority had increased by a small amount compared to a previous consultation in 2005.