Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has held discussions with the Environment Agency on its objections to plans for the North West Relief Road in Shrewsbury.

The Environment Agency has not formally objected to Shropshire Council’s proposals for the North West Relief Road. As a statutory consultee, it has been involved in detailed discussions with Shropshire Council and its representatives for several years. Throughout this period, the Environment Agency has offered detailed opinion and advice on several critical matters. Some of these have been resolved and/or noted by the Council. However, the Environment Agency has outstanding concerns about issues to do with protecting the water resources aquifer from which Severn Trent Water draws water supplies for the town of Shrewsbury. The Environment Agency does not consider the information supplied by the Council and its representatives to demonstrate an appropriate level of assessment and risk mitigation. It is for the Council to decide if it wishes further information to be formally submitted to enable the Council Members to make an informed decision. The Environment Agency continues to work with Shropshire Council to resolve this issue and is committed to keeping stakeholders informed.