Campaigners against the North West Road in Shrewsbury are taking a ‘No Road Roadshow’ on a tour across Shropshire in a bid to highlight the financial and environmental impact of the scheme on the county.
Better Shrewsbury Transport (BeST) is engaging with the public across Shropshire, setting up a ‘Roadometer’ in high streets in a variety of towns, from Broseley to Ellesmere to Much Wenlock.
The aim is to raise awareness about the planned £87m North West Road in Shrewsbury.
Claire Kirby, a BeST spokesperson said: “Most people in Shropshire have heard of the North West Road, but not everyone is aware that they’re going to be paying for it whether they live in Shrewsbury or not. The government grant for the road is capped at £54m, which means that Shropshire will have to pay for the rest of it. As estimates for the final cost spiral towards £130m, we want to make sure people know what they’re paying for.”
The campaigners are using a ‘Roadometer’ to gauge public opinion across the county, asking people to say how they’d prefer to see these millions invested.
Ms Kirby added: “People tell us they want the council to prioritise repairing the county’s infamous potholes and investment in public transport and better social care. The feeling we get from people in towns like Market Drayton, Ellesmere and Broseley is that they feel forgotten and neglected and last in the queue for funding for local projects.”
Campaigners say that many residents have taken up the offer to contact their councillors about the North West Road, raising the funding issue as well as climate concerns.
The Shrewsbury North West Relief Road is currently being considered as part of a planning application process.
If approved, the North West Relief Road 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 road 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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