Shropshire Council’s Leader Heather Kidd will meet with the Government’s transport minister Lilian Greenwood MP to discuss the council’s proposed North West Relief Road scheme.
This follows councillor Kidd writing to the minister requesting an urgent meeting on the future of the proposed road scheme on the outskirts of Shrewsbury following her group taking control of the council last month (May 2025).
Councillor Kidd has asked for an “off ramp” for the scheme in either additional funding or Government permission to use Department of Transport (DfT) funding it has already received to offset the £38m it has already spent on the scheme.
The council’s planning committee resolved to grant planning permission for the relief road, subject to agreement of section 106 and satisfactory discharge of conditions, on 31 October 2023. These conditions, 62 in total, were considered and approved in draft at planning committee on 15 February 2024. Work to complete the required Section 106 agreements is continuing, which will allow for full planning permission to be granted. A Full Business Case draft has also been prepared and would first need Council approval.
Councillor Kidd said:
“It is good news for our county that the Minister has agreed to meet so quickly.
“The scheme’s total cost is now £215m, of which around £155m will have to come from Shropshire Council and the people of Shropshire.
“Whatever the pros and cons of the road, given our very difficult budget position, we simply could not afford almost £6m a year extra to meet the cost of borrowing and repayments to fund the scheme.
“Equally, the council cannot afford to become liable for the £38m already spent by the previous Administration over the last six years. However with the Minister’s backing, DfT money could be used for this.
“We need a resolution so that any final decision on the road’s future can be made by the council that doesn’t make our very difficult financial position even worse.”
The meeting with the Minster is currently being planned.
