Shropshire Council has denied that a planning committee was misled over the Environment Agency’s (EA) attitude to a controversial new road, which the EA believes could present a significant risk to the area’s water supply.
Shropshire Council’s Northern Planning Committee approved the authority's own application for the £80m single carriageway North West Relief Road (NWRR) in Shrewsbury, in principle and subject to conditions, on 31 October last year.
But last month Mark Davies, a planning specialist in the EA’s West Midlands Sustainable Places team, wrote to the council, noting that it had granted approval for the road ‘despite our concerns’.
Mr Davies noted that the EA had advised the authority not to grant permission subject to planning conditions, and that further information should be submitted to inform an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
He wrote: ‘We consider and have consistently advised that sufficient detail should be provided within the EIA, determined at planning stage and in some cases not deferred to a post determination planning condition.’
Mr Davies added: ‘Unfortunately, your committee report suggested that we were refusing to engage on matters until conditions were to be drafted. This is not the case.’
Following publication of the letter, two members of the committee wrote to the council’s chief executive, Andy Begley, raising ‘serious concerns’ that it may have been misled.
The letter from Green councillor Julian Dean and Liberal Democrat councillor David Vasmer calls for the decision to approve the road to be set aside over fears it could be judged invalid and is unlikely to withstand a legal challenge.
Cllr Dean said: ‘As a member of the Northern Planning Committee, I take my role very seriously. The scheme we were asked to vote on is one that has huge ramifications for the public purse, as well as the safety of Shrewsbury’s drinking water supply.
‘You can imagine my disappointment to discover after the vote that the council is being accused of misrepresenting the views of a key statutory stakeholder. This is absolutely unacceptable and raises serious concerns about the integrity of the decision to approve the NWRR.’
Cllr Vasmer said: ‘The letter from the Environment Agency makes it clear that they feel aggrieved at the way Shropshire Council has tried to minimise and misrepresent their concerns over the water supply.
‘Whether this was done by design or through negligence, it should send shockwaves through the council leadership team. Answers are needed urgently.’
Responding to the complaints, Tracy Darke, the council’s assistant director of economy and place, said: ‘Officers presented the committee report to Northern Planning Committee in October, and believe councillors were not misled regarding the Environment Agency’s position. Correspondence relating to the application from the Environment Agency was, and still is, available on the public planning portal, and the committee members are able to see the position of the Environment Agency themselves.
‘The application was fully debated at the committee meeting, and Northern Planning Committee resolved to approve the application subject to the signing of a Section 106 agreement and planning conditions being brought back to a future Northern Planning Committee meeting for agreement.’
She added: ‘The Environment Agency’s response to the wording of the conditions will be addressed at the next meeting.’
