AN environmental group is calling for the Shavington bypass to be re-examined to test whether it is reducing unemployment in the borough.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) believes the £28 million Basford-Shavington-Hough bypass should be tested to see how it is bringing economic vitality to the area.

The road is one of 49 the CPRE says has been promoted on the basis of the perceived economic benefits it would deliver.

Transport campaigner for CPRE, Dawn Thompson, said: "It's a myth that all new roads bring economic vitality. Yet this myth continues to form the basis for many road proposals with little appreciation or analysis of the negative impacts a road may bring.

"These negative impacts can include the leakage of business, jobs and money from the local economy as well as the loss of precious countryside.

"Millions of pounds of public money has been earmarked for road schemes on the basis of unproven claims that they will assist economic regeneration.

"But a CPRE report 'Roads to Regeneration' shows these claims are rarely tested either before or after the road is built.

"We do know that new roads carve through the countryside destroying its beauty and tranquillity, but what we don't know is what, if any, benefits to economic regeneration they are providing."

The protection group has welcomed news that promoters of future road schemes are now required by Government to show how a proposed road will bring economic vitality and reduce unemployment.

"We believe that if public money is to be spent wisely, roads that are already in the pipeline - without proof of their merits - need to be re-examined before going ahead," added Dawn Robinson.