'It's brilliant news!' Reaction as work halted on 'damaging and reckless' North West Relief Road
Activists and politicans have reacted to the news that work has stopped on the controversial North West Relief Road project.
Shropshire Council announced on Thursday (June 26) that all work had been paused on the proposed North West Relief Road (NWRR) after the projected cost more than doubled over eight years.
Since its conception, the project to build the four-mile-long stretch of road has attracted criticism over the environmental impact and rising costs.
Criticism came from a range of campaign groups and organisations - including the Shropshire Wildlife Trust - and local politicans.
Now, after a meeting between the council's new Lib Dem leaders and the Department for Transport, all work has officially been paused as the new administration intends to finally pull the plug on the project.
Reacting to the news, Shropshire's Green Party group leader, Julian Dean said: "The Green Party in Shropshire is delighted that the damaging and reckless North West Road scheme is finally being halted.
"The scheme was heading for the rocks already, with runaway costs and overruns in completing planning conditions, but it is good to see a decision by Shropshire Council to cancel this is now imminent and - quite rightly - will be taken by full council.
"The Green Group argued back in February that we need to push ahead with plans to relieve congestion, support public transport, and encourage walking and cycling and so we hope to see not just the cancellation of the road scheme but also plans to support 'Shrewsbury Moves' which will give so many more people better transport options than the four-mile road ever could, and at a lower cost.
"This cancellation also means Shropshire can get back on track to meet its climate action commitments - something that would have been unachievable if the road had gone ahead."
Labour group leader Councillor Rosemary Dartnall said: "It has long been obvious to the Labour Group of Shropshire councillors that the previous Conservative administration’s unfunded and unaffordable megaproject - to build a controversial relief road in northwest Shrewsbury – was a financial impossibility.
"Continued promotion of the project was based on a number of falsehoods about flimsy Government funding promises – nothing concrete, nothing in writing. The project has been managed secretively when it should have been fully transparent. The public have been misled. Clearly, this should never happen.
"The council’s new administration and the Department for Transport met and full clarity around the calamitous finances for the North West Relief Road has been confirmed in very short time.
"The sad truth is that £39m of taxpayers' money has been wasted on developing this project, despite opposition calls to stop the spending. We wish the new administration well in discussion with Government about the £39m. We hope there will be relief available as the council’s finances are extremely tight.”
Advocate for ancient trees Rob McBride, who launched a petition to help save a threatened 550-year-old oak tree that was set to be felled to make way for the project, was also thrilled with the announcement.
"It's tree-mendous news, fantastic. It would have wiped out a lot of lovely countryside," he said.
"I'm sorry to the people who are under the assumption that this would have solved all the traffic problems for everyone in Shrewsbury - but it just wasn't the case.
"The dinosaurs that were in the council have been defeated, and the new administration is bringing a younger viewpoint, one with more vitality, to the problems of the 21st century. They understand the value of nature, of footpaths, of trees."
Not everyone is celebrating what appears to be the end of the line for the North West Relief Road however.
West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion, who - along with other emergency services - threw his support behind the scheme, said: “It’s a shame to hear that the relief road has been paused, as I know it would deliver a wide range of benefits for local communities.
“However, I understand that costs have increased significantly during a time where budgets are already stretched and therefore tough decisions are having to be made.
“I hope that the council will be in a position to deliver this project at some point in the future.”
