Shropshire Star

Call for M54 extension to Shrewsbury

The M54 should be extended to Shrewsbury according to leading councillors – who are set to ask officers to draw up a business plan for their proposal.

Published

Currently the M54 finishes at junction seven for Wellington, where it becomes the A5.

On Thursday Shropshire councillors will be asked to back a new campaign to get the motorway extended to the Preston Boats Junction on the outskirts of Shrewsbury.

A motion, being put forward by Shropshire Councillor Peter Adams, and supported by senior cabinet members, including the authority's leader Peter Nutting, outlines a plan to campaign for changes over the road's designation.

Councillor Adams' motion, which will be considered by the full council at its meeting on Thursday, says that the current situation could even be putting foreign investors off.

Motion

The motion specifically states: "Shropshire Council supports a proposal to extend the M54 motorway from junction seven at Wellington to Preston Boats junction near Shrewsbury."

It adds: "Shropshire is experiencing a prolonged period of sustained growth, and this needs to be enhanced and reinforced with the continued levels of house building in the county. There is a need for increased levels of investment in the county’s infrastructure.

"With this in mind I would like council to accept the above proposal. Foreign investors use decisions as to where they put their money and often rely on knowledge of the motorway systems of the countries being examined, and in this respect, Shropshire is weak.

"With the North West Relief Road being given the go ahead, this will open up North Shropshire and parts of Mid Wales for development."

The motion is also supported by Councillors Dean Carroll, Steve Charmley, and Brian Williams.

If backed the council will then move to 'encourage local members of Parliament to lobby Government and Highways England to extend the M54'.

The motion states that support will also allow officers to signal their intentions to "partners like Midland Connect", and that councillors will ask them to provide a business plan for the scheme.