Government minister defends Environment Agency over relief road delays

The most significant barrier to the project proceeding has been a failure to address concerns raised by the Environment Agency to the satisfaction of the organisation.

Those worries were reiterated on September 1, when an Environment Agency specialist said that more information was needed before it could be assured over the project.

In a letter to Shropshire Council it said: "We are not sufficiently reassured at this stage based on matters that need more detail and advise that the Environmental Impact Assessment needs to be robust, and risks/mitigation fully explored, prior to determination."

The EA has however said that if the council does decide to go ahead and approve the plans, it could impose conditions ensuring the concerns are addressed before work begins.

Now Rebecca Pow, Government Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience, has responded to a campaigner opposing the relief road, with her position on the delays.

The response was to Mike Streetly, who has been calling for the road to be scrapped, through his group 'Better Shrewsbury Transport'.

In the letter Mrs Pow defended the Environment Agency over the delay, and said the council had failed to provide the requested information "despite repeated engagement".

She said: "As you will know the Environment Agency (EA), as a statutory consultee, has been involved in detailed discussions with Shropshire Council and its representatives for several years regarding the North West Relief Road project.

"The EA has offered detailed opinion and advice on several critical matters, refining this as the council's work has progressed and as the council has provided more information.

"The EA’s intention has been to help the council, as an applicant, ensure a robust Environmental Impact Assessment is produced.

"Through the consultation process some of these critical matters have been resolved and/or noted by the council. However, the EA has raised its concerns about issues to do with protecting the water resources aquifer from which Severn Trent Water draws water supplies for Shrewsbury that have not been adequately addressed.

"Despite repeated engagement the council, in its capacity as the developer for the project, has still not provided information that has dealt with these concerns.

"The EA confirmed this to the council on Friday, September 1."

She added: "The council, in its capacity as the local planning authority, is the decision maker on planning permission and can, in simple terms, choose either to defer a decision until these concerns are resolved, refuse to grant planning permission, or to grant planning permission subject to these concerns being addressed through planning conditions and/or planning agreement.

"The EA has been clear that it will continue to work with the Council and its consultants, whichever decision it makes."

Responding to the minister's comments, Councillor Dan Morris, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said: “The Shrewsbury North West Relief Road (NWRR) is currently being considered as part of the planning process.

“We are working closely with the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water to give them the necessary reassurance and we continue to feel confident that these concerns can be addressed.

“The proposed road represents a key “missing link” in Shropshire’s road network. It would complete the ring road circle around Shrewsbury, reduce congestion and traffic in Shrewsbury town centre and at a number of major bottleneck points on the A5 outside the town. By reducing traffic in Shrewsbury, it would be key to encouraging more people to walk, cycle and use public transport within the town making this a more attractive place for residents and visitors. The road will also improve safety, and help relieve the rat runs, in places like Bomere Heath and Forton Heath, where it is intimidating to walk on pavements with continuous heavy traffic driving alongside you.

“It would also boost economic growth in the county and for many businesses and communities along the A5, reducing road journey times from northern to southern and eastern Shropshire and vice versa.”