“The Welsh Government has been recently criticised by the Road Haulage Association for the delays in implementing its Transport Strategy, in particular the M4 relief road Newport.
Do you think that this failure to improve the links East - West is having a detrimental effect on the Carmarthenshire economy. What would you say to Mark Drakeford Frist Minister about this?
Minutes:
“The Welsh Government has been recently criticised by the Road Haulage Association for the delays in implementing its Transport Strategy, in particular the M4 relief road in Newport. Do you think that this failure to improve the links East – West is having a detrimental effect on the Carmarthenshire economy? What would you say to Mark Drakeford First Minister about this?”
Response by Councillor Emlyn Dole, Leader of the Council:
Yes, I do think that this failure to improve the links East-West is having a detrimental effect on the economy here in Carmarthenshire and I would urge the First Minister to resolve that issue as soon as possible. An independent public inquiry, established by current Economy and Transport Secretary Ken Skates, into the proposed relief road came to an end last summer and I understand that the Inspector's report is now with senior civil servants. They are currently preparing the advice that will go on to ministers. Hopefully, the Welsh Government will soon set out a clear timetable of what happens next, but that’s wholly dependent on the report's recommendation as to whether the scheme should progress. If the decision is made to go ahead with the project, I’m told that construction could start in the autumn but would still take five years to complete. However, Labour AM Lee Waters has predicted that a decision to proceed could be open to legal challenge, so the wrangles could continue.
Anyone who has driven along the M4 will be aware of the desperate need to relieve congestion on the current route. It’s particularly bad to the north of Newport, where it narrows to just two lanes at the Brynglas tunnels. And nearly everyone agrees that a new M4 relief road will boost the economy by improving access for people and goods in and out of South and West Wales. The Economist Stephen Bussell, an Associate at Ove Arup and Partners Ltd, told the inquiry the wider impact of the scheme to Wales and the UK was worth over £2bn. He suggested that the cost of investment would be more than offset by the improvements in transport, economic efficiency, safety and carbon emissions. Journey times would be reduced, bringing particular benefits to logistics firms and ‘just in time operations’ who currently face regular disruption and associated costs alongside. But all of this has been known for the best part of 30 years. The Welsh Government wants to build a new 14 mile (23km) six-lane stretch of motorway south of Newport that would include a bridge across the River Usk, as well as major remodelling of junctions 23 and 29 on the M4.
In July 2014 Edwina Hart, who was then Economy Minister, gave it the go-ahead after agreement between the Welsh and UK Governments over how to fund it. There were three possible routes discussed - and it was the so-called black route that won the backing of the Welsh Government. Subsequently, a cheaper fourth route was proposed by transport expert Professor Stuart Cole, Emeritus Professor of Transport at the Wales Transport Research Centre at the University of Glamorgan Business School. This was dubbed the blue route and would involve an upgrade of the A48 Newport Southern Distributor Road and the former steelworks road as well. This is the route that we in Plaid Cymru favour. Not only is it cheaper, but it would also avoid the huge environmental impact of the black route. My Plaid Cymru colleagues in the National Assembly have long argued that the money saved by choosing the Blue Route should be then invested in other forms of transport and particularly in the upgrading of the South and West Wales rail infrastructure.
By coincidence, I wrote to Ken Skates just last week to lend my support to the proposed development of a new parkway station to serve the Swansea Bay urban area and West Wales. I told him how important the proposals could be for improved transport links to West Wales and beyond. It could provide an opportunity to tackle the undisputed barriers to economic growth that exist here in West Wales. We need to be able to develop the higher value sectors and higher value employment opportunities to match. We want to increase the number of businesses within these sectors to widen the economic base whilst improving the region’s GVA level against the UK average. There are aspirations that we share across the four local authorities that make up the Swansea Bay region. An improved rail infrastructure for the whole of West Wales can be a benefit to us all, including the residents of Llandeilo.
So quite simply my message to Mark Drakeford would be to get this sorted out, and sorted out as soon as possible. The overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that the economy of West Wales desperately needs better transport links and any further delays could have such a disastrous effect on our ambitions to create a new prosperity for our residents here in Carmarthenshire.
Supplementary Question by Councillor Edward Thomas:
Thank you, Emlyn, for this comprehensive reply and the detail you have given us. Just when you are speaking to the First Minister will you please remind him that a decision is yet to be made on the strategic road improvement for Llandeilo and the pollution that is affecting the centre of Llandeilo and causing health problems to the children and the older people of Llandeilo? So if you could please remind him about that because I don’t think Ken Skates and his Deputy pay particular attention to the letters that people of Llandeilo write to him.
Response by Councillor Emlyn Dole, Leader of the Council:
Yes, I will