Farage pledges to make M4 relief motorway a 'toll road'

Emily Price

Reform UK will make the M4 relief scheme it has proposed a "toll road" if the party gets into power in Wales, Nigel Farage has said.

His comments came during the launch of his party's Welsh manifesto at the International Convention Centre in Newport on Thursday (March 5).

Farage and Reform’s Wales leader Dan Thomas unveiled policies including scrapping the default 20mph speed limit and ending Wales’ status as a Nation of Sanctuary.

The transport section of Reform's Welsh manifesto also pledged to "build the M4 relied road".

The manifesto states: "The failure to build the M4 relief road has imposed huge costs on commuters, freight, and the wider Welsh economy.

"We will seek private funding or, as a national economic priority that also benefits England, funding from a Reform instituted British Sovereign Wealth Fund to finance the work as part of wider commitment to developing a Severnside economic zone."

As Farage was stepping off the stage in Newport, he told BBC Wales his Welsh leader Dan Thomas wanted to "get private capital in, make it a toll road, and give the people the option of doing it".

"Not much of the expenditure here would have to come from taxes," he said.

The Welsh Conservatives hit out at Reform saying Welsh motorists should not be charged to use the M4.

The Senedd Tories have also pledged to build an M4 relief road if the party wins the May 7 election.

'Vital'

The party proposes to fund the project through a combination of existing budgets, borrowing, and UK Government support.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Sam Rowlands, said: "People in Wales are already paying the price for years of poor transport decisions, so the last thing motorists need is the prospect of being charged again just to use a vital piece of infrastructure like the M4.

"The Welsh Conservatives have been clear that Wales needs better transport links, not new tolls.

"Our manifesto commits to delivering major road improvements, including an M4 relief road, upgrading the A55 and dualling the A40 to Fishguard, to ease congestion and support economic growth.

"Motorists and businesses rely on the M4 every day. The priority should be improving the network and tackling congestion, not introducing new charges that would place yet another burden on commuters, families and businesses across south Wales."

Newport Conservative Leader Cllr Matthew Evans added: "How many motorists would pay the toll?

"How many would simply continue on the existing M4 or even detour through Newport’s A-Roads to avoid paying the toll?

"What private finance company is going to come up with £1.5 billion to fund building the relief Road?"

'Hard working'

A spokesperson for Welsh Labour said: "Reform have admitted they want to put up costs. They’d build a road and make hard working people pay for it every single day.

"We in Welsh Labour are tackling the cost-of-living, keeping costs down for people by pledging a cap on all bus fares, lowering energy bills and giving a pay-rise to the lowest paid workers.

"All on top of freezing rail fares and having a £14bn plan for Welsh rail which will directly help traffic and travel around Newport."

The M4 relief road scheme previously proposed by the Welsh Labour Government was designed to bypass traffic congestion on Wales' busiest road near Newport by building a new motorway on the Gwent Levels.

Cost

However, the six-lane scheme was axed in 2019 by former first minister Mark Drakeford who raised concerns about the potential environmental and financial cost which had spiralled to £1.6bn.

It followed a public inquiry overseen by former planning inspector Bill Wadrup, who concluded that a scheme from Junction 23 to Junction 29 was in the public interest and that environmental objections were overstated.

At the time, Welsh Government ministers argued that austerity and the impact of Brexit meant the project was too expensive.

Drakeford later said he would not have gone ahead with an M4 relief road even if it was affordable because of the impact on the Gwent Levels.

His decision was welcomed by environmental charities.

In 2020, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeatedly promised to fund and deliver the M4 relief road project.

However, with road building in Wales the responsibility of ministers in Cardiff Bay, Johnson could not have a say on it.