MP's relief road funds plea gets backing from Shrewsbury town councillors

Members of Shrewsbury Town Council say work carried out by MP Daniel Kawczynski last week might help move things along – but they still remain doubtful.

The MP met Andrew Jones, parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Transport, last week and has since called for a "watertight" business case to be prepared by Shropshire Council.

Shrewsbury Mayor Ioan Jones said: "I hope this brings this forward but unfortunately I have my doubts. When we discussed this 15 years ago it cost a fraction of what it will now.

"We need to get it done and out of the way, it will only become more expensive. If we leave it another 20 years it will be 20 times more expensive."

The road would provide the fourth arc of the Shrewsbury bypass, linking Battlefield to Oxon.

It has been claimed that the road would cut journey times between the west and the north of Shrewsbury by about two thirds – from 19.1 minutes to 6.6 minutes.

Leader of the town council Alan Mosley said he remained sceptical about any promises for funding.

He said: "I am a bit sceptical, but if what Daniel says is accurate then many will see this as excellent news for Shrewsbury and the traffic problems that develop throughout the town.

"However I am aware that there was significant opposition last time it was publicly debated.

"I think the balance of opinion is that this is a much-needed plan which will bring benefit to residents, visitors and businesses alike."

Previously, groups including Campaign to Protect Rural England and Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth opposed the scheme over fears it would destroy wildlife habitats. Earlier this week it was revealed Daniel Kawczynski had written to Shropshire Council to call on it to ensure its business case was "robust" and would stand up to Government scrutiny if submitted for funding.

Mr Kawczynski's comments came after the chairman of the Marches LEP, Graham Wynn, confirmed the project was one of its priorities and Andrew Jones, parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Transport, said the plan presented a strong case.

Mr Jones said: "The North West Relief Road presents a very good case. We have talked about a number of issues here such as the level of traffic going through the town centre and the impact that can have on the life of residents and businesses.

"The road opens up the opportunity for the whole community. This would open up potential areas for further housing. It would also help to alleviate problems within the historic town centre.

"The key is that we already have agreement between the LEP and the council and the local MP.

"It has got local and national support. There is a strong case for it. The business case needs to be defined but there are plans under way to do that. There is a very large cost benefit ratio and there would be a good return. All projects needs to have a good return on public money."