21/00924/EIA — Shrewsbury Town Council

Address	Proposal	Shrewsbury Town Council Decision
Street Record Welshpool Road Shrewsbury Shropshire	North West Relief Road scheme. comprising – construction of 6.9km single carriageway (7.3m wide) road; severance of local roads and footpaths; provision of combined footway/cycleway; erection of three bridged structures over carriageway; diversion of existing bridleway/footpath via an underpass; climbing lane on westbound approach; 670m long viaduct; bridge over railway; two flood storage areas; provision of two new roundabout junctions and improvements to two existing roundabouts; associated traffic calming measures, landscaping and drainage schemes	Objection
Application Date:
2021-03-01
Application Notes:
Shrewsbury Town Council’s Planning Committee met on 24 May 2021 to discuss the planning application for the North West Relief Road scheme (21/00924/EIA). The Committee considered the application against the material considerations it would use for any other planning application. Following this consideration, Shrewsbury Town is submitting this report in order to outline its objection to this application. Shrewsbury Town Council agreed the following motion in response to the application: That this Council is strongly opposed to the creation of the North West Relief Road and hence objects to the current planning application. Furthermore we pledge to do all in our power to oppose any further associated developments. We believe the planned road contradicts Shropshire Council’s recent welcome commitment to ‘policies that follow the hierarchy of traffic reduction, modal shift and electrification’ and so call on Shropshire Council to halt it’s processes leading to the North West Relief Road and instead divert capacity to producing a plan for sustainable transport that will both address congestion issues, and support inclusive connectivity, health, and rapidly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, Shrewsbury Town Council requests that Shropshire Council makes a full appraisal of sustainable alternatives to the North West Relief Road in the light of the declared climate emergency and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounds for Objection; Specifically, the Town Council objects to this application on the following grounds: Lack of consideration for the declared Climate Emergency; The planning application is dated and no longer relevant particularly in the light of Shropshire Council’s commitment to climate change via declaration of a Climate Emergency in May 2019 and the commitment to an objective of achieving net-zero corporate carbon performance by 2030. The building of such a road would expand the use of fossil fuels and is therefore in complete contradiction to this commitment. In order to achieve this objective will require less driving on Shropshire roads, not more. It is entirely inappropriate for Shropshire Council to declare a climate emergency and then fall at the first hurdle. Lack of consideration of an Active Traffic Management Plan in Light of the COVID Pandemic; The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a considerable change in behaviour in a number of ways but specifically in relation to commuting to work. More people work and will continue to work at home than ever and the plans does not take any of these significant changes in behaviour into account. Herefordshire Council has recently considered alternatives to developing a similar road and Shropshire Council are strongly advised to take a look at these plans and consider alternatives. The planning application suggests that the road will improve both walking and cycling and improve congestion in Shrewsbury town centre but there has been no real consideration of any of these issues. The Movement Strategy as part of the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan was found lacking in substance and there has been calls, which Shrewsbury Town Council supports for a new more comprehensive strategy to be developed which in particular focusses on alternative travel provision. We believe that this piece of work should be undertaken before making any further plans for the North West Relief Road in order to support its own policies that prioritise sustainable transport modes. Of particular concern to our members are assertions that levels of traffic will be greatly reduced across the town. This is not the case across the whole of the town. Areas of concern are in the north of the town where traffic levels will inevitably increase and at a time when traffic levels and congestion are high and at a future time when more serious consideration will have to be given to the closure of the Harlescott Railway Crossing. Also of concern are areas to the West which will see the lion’s share of future development over the next 20 years and still no pressure being borne on developer to look at less car dependence and more alternative transport provision. We believe these very real and potential cumulative impact needs to be addressed. Lack of consideration of the environmental impact; There are grave concerns about the impact that the building of the North West Relief Road would have on noise, pollution and damage to the environment (both in terms of landscape and the built heritage) across Shrewsbury and the surrounding area but particularly in areas such as Shelton. This are is crucial to the town having a good water supply and we have concerns about the impact that the development will have on the underground aquifer during what will inevitably brutal construction. We believe that the visual impacts have been greatly understated and call for further investigation into the impact of the development on these within the town. We have concerns for the unique architectural heritage of the town. Other factors; Shrewsbury Town Council has been an active contributor to the development of the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan and throughout the Partnership has been clear that the Big Town Plan should not reliant on the development of the North West Relief Road to achieve its Vision and evolving Masterplan. The continued reference to co-dependency in the public domain is more unhelpful and we request that these two issues become disentangled in the public arena. The people of Shrewsbury want a 21st Century town without reliance upon the development. The last couple of months has really given an opportunity for our elected members to engage with the residents of Shrewsbury during the election campaign and without exception all have said that it was the biggest topic of discussion on the doorstep. The election results in Shrewsbury should be a startling message for Shropshire Council that people of Shrewsbury do not want this scheme and want to see a more innovative approach to the town’s transport solutions. Our members have noted with interest the new Leader of Shropshire Council’s wish to pause to reflect in decisions. We very much believe that this needs to be one of those Pause for Reflection moments.