Shropshire Council has sought to shrug off a new estimate of the carbon impact of its controversial relief road scheme by increasing the budget and timescale for its pledge to offset the scheme’s emissions.
However, the highway authority has had to admit that it does not have a fully worked-out or costed plan to achieve the promised offsetting and a report from its consultants admits that the main method identified so far cannot be relied upon.
The 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.
It said the increase in emissions results from a new assessment methodology from the Department for Transport that accounts for a wider range of activities.
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