Oxon Link Road to be included in Shrewsbury North West Relief Road planning application

The decision was taken following the award of £54m of funding from the Department for Transport towards the construction of the north west relief road (NWRR).

Shropshire Council says it recognises that, as standalone schemes, the Oxon Link Road and the NWRR serve different purposes based on their separate funding streams. The NWRR provides a strategic link that eases congestion on the corridor between the Midlands and Wales, facilitating economic growth in Shrewsbury and Shropshire more widely. On the other hand, the Oxon Link Road was conceived principally as a distributor road to facilitate development as part of the Shrewsbury West Urban Extension.

By combining the schemes, the Oxon Link Road can more easily contribute to the strategic objective of the NWRR, whilst also better delivering on the link road’s specific goal of facilitating the Shrewsbury West Urban Extension.

Councillor Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“Following the exciting announcement earlier this year that the Department for Transport will provide funding for the North West Relief Road (NWRR), Shropshire Council has been developing the scheme in readiness for a planning application in early 2020.

“As part of this work, the council has reappraised the relationship between the NWRR and the Oxon Link Road which currently under consideration by the Local Planning Authority (18/03166/EIA). Whilst the Oxon Link Road application has acknowledged the NWRR as a potential future scheme, DfT’s funding allocation offers an opportunity for the two complementary schemes to become more closely aligned.

“By aligning the two schemes, the council is able to maximise the benefits of both schemes and create a consistent user experience from Churncote roundabout to Battlefield.”

The new NWRR application is set to be submitted early next year.