Around 150 people gathered beneath the Darwin Oak on Sunday, calling on Shropshire Council to scrap its North West Relief Road plans and ‘Save Our Shropshire Trees’.
Among the groups attending the protest was Better Shrewsbury Transport (BeST), which has been leading the campaign against the road.
Families decorated the 550-year-old Darwin Oak with art and placards as an English Heritage flag – placed over the weekend by an unknown protestor – flew from the top of the tree. The art was removed after the event, in order to prevent littering.
Various speakers – including Rob “The Treehunter” McBride – addressed the assembled crowd, who wore masks and remained socially-distanced at all times.
Dave Green, spokesperson for BeST, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying Shelton Rough in the April sunshine today. There were dozens of families and dogs and some fantastic artwork on display.
“Shrewsbury’s famous ‘Green Wedge’ is part of what makes our town the ‘original one-off’ and losing it will be a huge blow. In lockdown, we saw how important green spaces like this are for our quality of life and they’re also vital for wildlife and nature to thrive.
“These trees aren’t just trees, they’re each home to over a thousand different species. No amount of saplings can replace them.”
Planned Shrewsbury North West Relief Road
A planning application for the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road (NWRR) was submitted by Shropshire Council in February.
The application says the road would reduce journey times, traffic congestion, pollution and noise in Shrewsbury and in a number of surrounding communities, as well as helping to accommodate planned economic growth.
If approved, the NWRR would provide a new, single carriageway road linking the northern and western parts of Shrewsbury, with new bridges over the River Severn and its flood plain and the Shrewsbury-Chester railway line.
The NWRR would connect the A5 at Welshpool Road roundabout west of Shrewsbury to the Ellesmere Road roundabout to the town’s north.
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