More than three quarters of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce members are in favour of Shrewsbury’s North West Relief Road, according to a new survey.
The Chamber asked its members three key questions about the proposed route, in a bid to inform its official stance.
The questions were:
– Do businesses currently have difficulty, or believe difficulty exists, travelling round the northern and western edges of Shrewsbury?
– Do they think a solution is needed?
– Do they think the North West Relief Road is the correct solution?
A total of 86% of Chamber members who responded to the survey said they believed difficulties existed and changes were needed – and 78% said the North West Relief Road was the correct solution.
Josh Carpenter, Shropshire Chamber’s policy officer, said: “We had a very big response to this survey, with the majority of our members voicing a view that the relief road is critical for the economic future of the area.
“They feel it would cut down congestion through the centre of Shrewsbury, reduce air pollution in residential areas, and could also bring investment and more jobs into Shropshire.
“It was also noted by some of the supporters that the debate about the road had been going on for far too long already, potentially damaging the economy of Shrewsbury and the wider area.”
He added: “Those who opposed the road point to the fact that it will impact wildlife and woodland, and question whether there really will be long-term benefits.
“Some described it as a waste of money which could be put to better use, such as improving the local public transport network.”
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