Shrewsbury MP hits back over relief road criticisms

The controversial project has been mired in delays, and has still not gone before a planning committee for a decision, despite the Government awarding more than £50 million towards the cost of the road four years ago.

The continuing delays mean the costs of the scheme are likely to have risen well above the £81m originally budgeted.

Shrewsbury & Atcham's Conservative MP, Daniel Kawczynski, who has been a supporter of the road, and led the bid to secure funding from the Government has voiced his frustration at the delays – which have largely been caused by extra information required by the Environment Agency from Shropshire Council.

In recent days Mr Kawczynski described the planning process as "not fit for purpose".

Referencing the delays to the project, Mr Kawczynski had said: "I’m very proud to have secured £56 million and now four years on we are still not at the stage where the road has planning permission. We can’t run a society like that.

“How much more will the road cost now? It is unsustainable.

“I will be taking lessons from this whole process and will challenge it in a parliamentary debate. It is not fit for purpose. We have to take power away from the handful of people that use the environment to cause delay.”

The leader of Shropshire Council's Labour Group, Councillor Julia Buckley, reacted by saying it was "disturbing to hear our MP dismissing the entire governmental planning process simply because his favourite vanity project is required to meet due diligence requirements."

She also called for the project to be scrapped – and for the money to be spent on public services.

The Tory MP has now responded by saying Councillor Buckley's comments mislead the public, with the money set aside for the project only available for that scheme – and not for ongoing council services.

He said that if the Government funding is not spent on the road, it will simply return to Department for Transport coffers.

He said: "I would like to publicly challenge Julia Buckley in her statement that the money could be spent elsewhere.

"She is showing a lack of understanding of how this project is being financed by the Department for Transport – with the money ring-fenced for this project.

"I believe she is misleading Shrewsbury residents with her statement. The idea this money can be used for adult social care is complete fabrication."

The MP also defended his criticism of the planning process, saying: "What I would say to her is of course everyone wants to respect the environment but I think the interaction between a council and the Environment Agency over a project of this kind, of course lessons can and must be learned.

"I am just very interested as to why it has taken four years and as a result construction costs have gone up by tens of millions of pounds.

"I have heard members of the council outlining the problems that could be more streamlined to make the project more efficient.

"After it goes to planning I will ask the EA and the council what recommendations they have that this could be improved in the future."