Latest news with #NWRR
BBC News
11-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Tory Party's handling of Shrewsbury bypass criticised by Labour
The handling of Shrewsbury's controversial North West Relief Road (NWRR) by the council's ruling Conservative group has been "scandalous", the opposition Labour party project, estimated to cost £215m, has not been formally discussed by full Democrat, Labour and Green groups have said they want the four-mile (6.4km) bypass scrapped due to cost and because it would not solve traffic Rosemary Dartnall, Labour group leader, said the project had been "mired in opaque and substandard governance" for years. Although it could be cancelled by the authority or the government, whoever decided that would become liable for £39m already leader Lezley Picton, who announced last week she would not be seeking re-election, wrote an open letter to Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood on Friday asking the government to reaffirm its support for the road, which is yet to receive planning permission."The NWRR is a shovel-ready project... that offers significant benefits for economic growth and new housing delivery, reductions in congestion and air pollution, improvements to public transport and the delivery of our sustainable travel strategy," she wrote. With the council in a pre-election period ahead of polls in May, Picton said she regretted not seeing the matter come before the council but hoped the minister and Shropshire Council's next leader, would "endeavour to deliver this scheme in full."But Dartnall said she was shocked at the letter and added the Labour group believed public spending should be "justified openly and transparently"."We find the Conservatives' approach scandalous, particularly so considering the enormous sums of tax-payers money involved," she described the bypass as of "dubious benefit" and said a Labour-run council would cancel the NWRR application for funding and ask the government to help cover the lost Roger Evans, co-leader of the Liberal Democrats, said Picton acted against local democracy by "requesting something of the minister that elected members have been unable to scrutinise, discuss or decide". This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ring road costs set at £215m as budget talks loom
The cost of completing a ring road around Shrewsbury has been calculated at £215m, Shropshire Council has revealed. The authority set out the costs of the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road (NWRR) ahead of next week's budget meeting, and the implications of continuing with it, or cancelling. Council chiefs said the government or the council could cancel, but whoever did so would become liable for £39m of money already spent. Councillors have heard building the road would add £6m annually to day-to-day spending, but it would be better than cancelling. James Walton, Shropshire Council's top finance officer, said from a purely financial point of view, "it would be better to build it." Councillor Gwilym Butler, cabinet lead for finance, said: "It is vital that councillors fully understand, and carefully consider the implications of the various possible outcomes." It comes as the council heads towards local elections in May and council leader Lezley Picton denied that the move to release the figures was a political decision. She said she remained committed to the scheme and this was the year when final decisions had to be made. Picton said she believed the scheme aligned with the government's growth agenda. If the Tories lost control of the council in May, any new political leadership would face the same issues, she added. Three opposition parties have said they will scrap the scheme if they win in May, it was revealed earlier this month. The NWRR comprises two road schemes, the Oxon Link Road and the North West Relief Road. It is the largest infrastructure scheme ever undertaken by Shropshire Council. One of the options is to progress with the Oxon Link Road and cancel the relief road, but that move was estimated to come with a further £46m costs and £32m sunk costs, with a total liability of £78m. Planning permission for the overall NWRR scheme was given in 2023, subject to agreements between the council and a developer. Once that is in place, a business case can go to full council and then, if approved, the Department for Transport. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. 'Near-bankrupt' council finds £51m to balance books Plan to scrap bypass revealed ahead of election 'Significant weakness' in relief road funding No commitment to relief road funding in MP meeting Shropshire Council Shrewsbury North West Relief Road
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Shrewsbury relief road costs set at £215m as budget talks loom
The cost of completing a ring road around Shrewsbury has been calculated at £215m, Shropshire Council has authority set out the costs of the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road (NWRR) ahead of next week's budget meeting, and the implications of continuing with it, or chiefs said the government or the council could cancel, but whoever did so would become liable for £39m of money already have heard building the road would add £6m annually to day-to-day spending, but it would be better than cancelling. James Walton, Shropshire Council's top finance officer, said from a purely financial point of view, "it would be better to build it."Councillor Gwilym Butler, cabinet lead for finance, said: "It is vital that councillors fully understand, and carefully consider the implications of the various possible outcomes." 'Election issue' It comes as the council heads towards local elections in May and council leader Lezley Picton denied that the move to release the figures was a political said she remained committed to the scheme and this was the year when final decisions had to be made. Picton said she believed the scheme aligned with the government's growth the Tories lost control of the council in May, any new political leadership would face the same issues, she opposition parties have said they will scrap the scheme if they win in May, it was revealed earlier this month. The NWRR comprises two road schemes, the Oxon Link Road and the North West Relief is the largest infrastructure scheme ever undertaken by Shropshire of the options is to progress with the Oxon Link Road and cancel the relief road, but that move was estimated to come with a further £46m costs and £32m sunk costs, with a total liability of £ permission for the overall NWRR scheme was given in 2023, subject to agreements between the council and a that is in place, a business case can go to full council and then, if approved, the Department for Transport. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Plans to scrap Shrewsbury relief road revealed ahead of election
Three opposition parties on Shropshire Council have written jointly to the government to say they will scrap Shrewsbury's north west relief road (NWRR) if they win May's controversial bypass is being pursued by the current Conservative-run administration, which is hoping construction will get underway later this year and said it remained committed to Democrat, Labour and Green groups want it scrapped, claiming it is too expensive and will not solve traffic relief road would complete the ring road around Shrewsbury, but its cost, construction and impact on the environment has divided opinion for many years. Funding for the road has yet to be secured by the council, despite the Conservative government promising in 2023 to "fully fund" the project using money from the second leg of HS2 being has since put the road under review, leaving a huge question mark over how the council would meet a funding shortfall of £136m should the commitment be is widely predicted the project would cost more than £200m."The cost is absolutely vast, and the case for the road hasn't been made," said Rosemary Dartnall, leader of the Labour group and author of the letter that was sent to the Department for Transport."Building roads alone does not solve traffic congestion – the evidence is clearly understood. "We must be far more inventive and deal with local congestion problems where they exist while offering real alternatives to encourage residents to travel by other means," she added. Tens of millions of pounds have already been spent on the project, and cancelling it could result in the council having to foot a bill close to £ said a new administration would ask the government to help with the expenditure that has already been incurred. The NWRR would connect Churncote Island on the A5 to the west of Shrewsbury to the A528 Ellesmere Road in the north, completing an A-road circuit of has received the backing of several healthcare and emergency services, including the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion. Conservative council leader Lezley Picton insisted: "The Council remains clear that the case for the NWRR is strong. "It underpins the future sustainability of the local economy, the move to more sustainable transport, more effective delivery of the services local people rely on, and tackling congestion."She added that she looked forward to demonstrating the scheme's value to a government which "has stated it is determined to ensure Britain overcomes organised opposition to schemes that benefit the country".A key report into the feasibility of the bypass is unlikely to be discussed by councillors until after May's council road cannot be built until the full business case (FBC) is approved by the council and sent to the Department for Transport for its approval.A number of conditions agreed after the road was granted planning permission will need to be fulfilled before the FBC is signed off.A report will go to full council later this month, which will provide information on the cost of the road and outline possible funding options, including other sources should government funding be withdrawn. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Doubt over pre-election relief road council debate
A key report into the feasibility of Shrewsbury's North West Relief Road (NWRR) is unlikely to be discussed by councillors until after May's local elections. There is uncertainty as to whether the full business case will be ready for a meeting of the full Shropshire Council at the end of the month. It had been understood that the multi-million pound project would be discussed at the meeting on 27 February. However, the officer now overseeing the scheme told the council's Audit Committee on Thursday that he was unable to say when it would be published. "There are a number of things linked to that – discharging planning conditions etc," said Andy Wilde, assistant director for infrastructure. He said: "I'm working with the team at the moment to understand what that timeline looks like. So I will need to update on that because I don't have a clear position at this moment in time." Councillor Roger Evans said the committee was previously told the FBC would be available in September, then December, before February was mooted. "We seem to be drifting while this council continues to spend money that it can ill-afford to lose," the Liberal Democrat councillor said. "This is a multi-million pound project, it has been stressed that it's at risk. The business case is still going to go to government, and they will come forward as to whether they're going to fund it or not. "But Shropshire Council is still spending millions on this case with no planning permission yet issued." Meanwhile, Katie Williams, from the council's audit team, told the committee that a follow-up report would be ready for the next committee update in June or July. "At least half of this committee will not be present at the meeting, so it would have been good to have something before we 'change councils' because it will be a new council after May whatever happens," Evans said. He also expressed surprise that Mr Wilde was not pre-briefed about some of the NWRR project before taking it on. It was previously under the stewardship of Shropshire Council's executive director of place, Mark Barrow, before he took voluntary redundancy in December. Mr Wilde said a newly formed executive board had recently met, with governance arrangements "being revisited". He added: "It wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment on what's gone on previously. My commitment is for the organisation going forward and making sure that the whole council feels like it's got the transparency it's seeking and the audit's recommendations are factored in very quickly." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. 'Significant weakness' in relief road funding Relief road to take 25 years to be carbon neutral Local Democracy Reporting Service
