£2.5m plans for Market Drayton ring road hit a dead end

The scheme has been ditched by Shropshire Council because there is 'no point' spending public money on it.

It is believed the authority has already spent about £900,000 on the proposals for land between Stafford Street and Phoenix Bank during the past 30 years.

Now it could now sell off the land to a private developer instead.

Outline planning permission for the scheme was recommended for approval in February, but last week the council decided to pull the plug on the planning application.

The ring road, which would have formed a new junction with High Street and Great Hales Street, was designed to cope with increasing traffic in the town.

But David Minnery, Shropshire councillor for Market Drayton West, said it was just not needed any more.

He said: "Overwhelming opinion seems to be it is not the time to be spending that type of money on it. It is pointless to proceed with it.

"Great Hales Street being made one way has dealt with the problem, so from a highways point of view it is no longer a priority.

"The scheme has been in the old North Shropshire District Council and Shropshire Council's plans for a long time, but there comes a time when you ask, is it still needed?

"Ten years on you can ask the question about whether it was a waste of time and money, but up until a year ago it seemed to be the right thing to do so money had to be spent."

He said it made sense to release the land and there are one or two people with proposals for a housing development on it.

Shropshire Council will decide if the land should be put up for sale at a cabinet meeting on December 19.

Councillor Minnery said the remaining £1.6million set aside for the scheme would still be put in to Market Drayton.

By Dani Wozencroft