Campaigners and business leaders today gave a mixed reaction to news that plans for a £100 million north-west relief road in the county town are to be abandoned.

Members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Friends of the Earth have claimed victory in their fight to preserve “outstanding” natural habitats for wildlife. But Shrewsbury Business Chamber insists it is important the road stays on the agenda.

Shirehall chiefs say there is “very little prospect” of the road ever being built.

Campaigners and business leaders today gave a mixed reaction to news that plans for a £100 million north-west relief road in the county town are to be abandoned.

Members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Friends of the Earth have claimed victory in their fight to preserve “outstanding” natural habitats for wildlife. But Shrewsbury Business Chamber insists it is important the road stays on the agenda.

Shirehall chiefs say there is “very little prospect” of the road ever being built.

Andy Goldsmith, Shropshire Council’s assistant director of public protection, has told councillors the chances of securing funding for the four-mile bypass are extremely unlikely in the next 10 to 15 years.

The authority wants to halt all work on the scheme and concentrate on a £30 million package of highways projects to reduce congestion in the town.

Members of the council’s cabinet will be asked to agree the recommendations at next Wednesday’s meeting.

Selby Martin, from the Campaign to Protect Rural England Shropshire branch, said his group would “wholeheartedly” support the NWRR being scrapped.

He said: “The amount of traffic in Shrewsbury couldn’t justify the environmental damage the road would cause. The proposed route is an area which is rich in wildlife and to build through it would be amount to vandalism.

“I think there will be a reduction in car use anyway as people prefer, for financial reasons, to start cycling or using the Park & Ride service more.”

Judith Rice, co-ordinator for Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth, said the news was victory for the campaigners.

She said: “We have never felt it was needed or justified. We support the majority of alternative measures to reduce traffic congestion, particularly those which discourage car usage.

“If the road had been built, an area of outstanding natural habitat would have been completely spoiled and it still hasn’t been proved whether it would reduce through traffic through the town anyway.”

Simon Airey, president of Shrewsbury Business Chamber, said the scheme could only go ahead with government cash but claimed it was important it was not scrapped altogether.

He said without the road, the town’s traffic congestion would never be eased fully and it would also lose out on massive outside investment.

He said: “We would be very upset if it isn’t kept on the agenda.”

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