Party's handling of controversial bypass criticised

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 says.

The project, estimated to cost £215m, has not been formally discussed by full council.

Liberal 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 problems.

Councillor 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 spent.

Council 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 said.

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 costs.

Councillor 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.

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