Public consultation on revised Carbon Impact Assessment for NWRR goes live

Shropshire Council has launched a public consultation after submitting a revised Carbon Impact Assessment for the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road (NWRR), to its Northern Planning Committee, due to a change in UK government policy.

The public and other stakeholders will have until 17 January 2025 to comment on the road’s new carbon emission estimates and carbon offsetting measures.

In early 2024, the Department for Transport (DfT) changed the carbon assessment process for the preparation of all major transport schemes, whether delivered by National Highways or councils. The DfT has stated this is primarily for use in Full Business Case assessments and not as part of the planning process.

The new assessment methodology accounts for a wider range of activities that produce carbon, accumulated over 60 years, which means that the road has a larger carbon footprint than previously estimated, and Shropshire Council recently committed to an equivalent increase in carbon offsetting on the project, to mitigate this potential impact.

The revised assessment has also been submitted to the Northern Planning Committee, to ensure full transparency throughout the planning process, triggering a new round of public consultation on the proposals.

Dan Morris, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said:

“The updated DfT assessment process applies to all transport schemes. As it is more stringent, all similar schemes will see an equivalent increase in carbon emissions and offsetting requirements. Key to our commitment to match the new offsetting requirements and balance the carbon emissions produced is the clear evidence of the many benefits the NWRR for people across Shropshire.

“Completing this missing link, the NWRR will reduce average journey times around Shrewsbury by 17 minutes. It will deliver major reductions in traffic, congestion and air pollution in Shrewsbury and many surrounding villages, boost public transport, cycling and walking, and attract new jobs and investment into the county.

“We’re committed to transparency throughout this project to ensure that everyone in our county has access to the full range of facts around the road, so that they, councillors, and ultimately the government, can make an informed decision on what is best for the future of our county.”

The updated assessment and comments can be left on the planning portal using application reference number 21/00924/EIA.