Shrewsbury North West Relief Road

Please see an email below from Dan Morris - Shropshire Council Member for Burnell. Cabinet Member for Highways & Infrastructure - regarding the North West Relief Road

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Dear Stakeholder

Yesterday (Tuesday 31 October 2023) Shropshire Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for the planning application for the North West Relief Road (NWRR) - the ‘missing link’ in Shrewsbury’s road network.

This is a key next step forward in this project which began around 30 years ago.

While I know that the road divides opinions, I’m confident that it will make a huge difference to people within Shrewsbury town centre, making it a much more attractive place for residents, businesses and visitors.

I’d like to stress what I believe are the very real benefits of the NWRR and the planning decision can now unlock the following:

• Free up road space and take traffic out of Shrewsbury town centre making this a much more attractive place for residents, businesses and visitors. It will also allow more measures to encourage people out of their cars and to walk or cycle more.
• Improve safety – many Shropshire villages are currently blighted by traffic rat runs trying to by-pass the long loop around Shrewsbury created by the incomplete ring road, with HGVs trying to avoid the A5 thundering through villages such as Ruyton XI Towns, Baschurch, Forton Heath and Montford Bridge.
• By reducing traffic in Shrewsbury town centre it will also help improve air quality. Other environmental benefits will be reduced journey times, fewer jams on the A5 around Shrewsbury alongside the creation of a new network of cycle routes and footpaths.
• It will provide a huge boost for Shropshire economy, making Shropshire businesses more accessible. It is key piece of national and regional transport infrastructure, completes a ring around Shrewsbury that’s been unfinished for 30 years, while also supporting a key international road link with Ireland.
• It is estimated that 85% of aggregates used in schemes such as this come from Shropshire. Once construction begins, it means that not only will we use local materials, we will also use local people to build it, creating employment and investing in people skills.

A full business case for the NWRR, including up-to-date costings, will now be prepared for consideration by the council next year, before being submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT). If approved, work to build the road could start by spring 2025.

As I’m sure you all appreciate, this decision follows years of planning and subsequent uncertainty, and I’m delighted that we can finally start to progress this important scheme.

The cost of the road was previously estimated at £80.1 million. This includes a contribution of £54.4 million from the DfT and £4m from the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the remaining balance will be funded by Shropshire Council.

Given inflation and the rise on construction costs since the initial business case, the road’s cost is expected to rise in cost of materials, however the Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper MP last month committed to “fully fund” the scheme.

While we’re yet to receive formal confirmation of this, we’re pleased that the Government has heard us and understands how important this scheme is to Shropshire and to the surrounding villages and communities, and how it can help grow the county’s economy and support better regional transport links.

Yours sincerely

Dan

Dan Morris

Shropshire Council Member for Burnell. Cabinet Member for Highways & Infrastructure.

07902 408400

[email protected]

Twitter: @dan4burnell

Facebook: dan4burnell