'Good news': Shropshire Council leader optimistic the controversial North West Relief Road saga will conclude as the government agrees to meet with her
The Government has agreed to meet with the leader of Shropshire Council to discuss the controversial North West Relief Road saga.
Shropshire Council leader Heather Kidd will meet with transport minister Lilian Greenwood MP to discuss the proposed scheme, it has been announced.
Councillor Kidd wrote to the minister last month requesting an "urgent meeting" to discuss the future of the proposed road scheme on the outskirts of Shrewsbury after the Liberal Democrats took charge of the council in May.
She has asked for an "off ramp" for the scheme in either additional funding. or Government permission to use Department of Transport (DfT) funding that the authority has already received to offset around £38m that it has already spent on the scheme.
Shropshire Council's planning committee resolved to grant planning permission for the relief road in October 2023, subject to conditions.
Prior to the local elections, the Lib Dems had joined with the Labour and Green groups on the council in writing to the Government to pledge that they would cancel the road, which includes the Oxon Link Road, if they secured a majority on the authority.
Before the election, the previous Conservative-run administration revealed that completing the road would cost £215 million. However, it warned that the terms of the Government grant for the road meant that the council would have to pay back £38m if it chooses to cancel the project.
Shropshire Council said a meeting between leader Heather Kidd and the transport minister is being arranged, and councillor Kidd has pleaded for a resolution to the saga to avoid making the council's financial position worse.
She said: "It is good news for our county that the Minister has agreed to meet so quickly.
"The scheme’s total cost is now £215m, of which around £155m will have to come from Shropshire Council and the people of Shropshire.
"Whatever the pros and cons of the road, given our very difficult budget position, we simply could not afford almost £6m a year extra to meet the cost of borrowing and repayments to fund the scheme.
"Equally, the council cannot afford to become liable for the £38m already spent by the previous administration over the last six years. However with the Minister’s backing, DfT money could be used for this.
"We need a resolution so that any final decision on the road’s future can be made by the council that doesn’t make our very difficult financial position even worse."
