Senedd Conservatives to force vote on M4 relief road

Emily Price

The Senedd Conservatives have tabled a motion calling on the Welsh Government to deliver an M4 relief road.

This month marks six years since Welsh minister's scrapped the controversial transport project.

The plans - worth £1.6bn - would have seen a 14-mile stretch of motorway built as a gateway into south Wales to tackle congestion around Newport.

Then First Minister, Mark Drakeford, announced he would axe the project in 2019 on the grounds of cost and the potential environmental impact.

Concerns were also raised about the impact on communities living nearby.

Drakeford said the M4 Corridor around Newport was not in the long term interests of Wales.

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Protected

The move was welcomed by environmentalists who said the six lane stretch would have caused significant damage to the protected Gwent Levels - a historically significant coastal wetland.

It was the third time Welsh ministers shelved plans and broke a Welsh Labour manifesto pledge from 2016.

The scrapped project cost £150m of taxpayers’ money - £44m of which was spent on a public inquiry into the proposals.

The Welsh Conservatives say the government's failure to implement the motorway has left motorists and businesses without a crucial solution to manage growing traffic demands.

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Hotspot

The South East Wales Transport Commission report found that the M4 near Newport ranked within the top 50 traffic hotspots in Europe, and was the 4th most congested stretch of urban motorway in the United Kingdom.

The Senedd Tories have pledged to deliver on the scheme if they win the Welsh election next year.

In the Senedd on Wednesday (June 18), the group will call on the Welsh Government to deliver an M4 relief road.

Plaid Cymru has traditionally opposed the project and are expected to vote the motion down alongside Labour.

Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Finance, Transport and Infrastructure, Sam Rowlands, said: "Labour’s decision to scrap the M4 relief road wasted huge amounts of money, and was an attack on Welsh motorists.

"An M4 relief road would have alleviated traffic demands, whilst boosting our economy and investment into Wales.

"Welsh Conservatives will always be on the side of motorists, and that’s why we’re calling for the M4 relief road to be delivered."

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We are pressing ahead with the recommendations of Lord Burns, for rail stations to be built to give people genuine alternatives to driving on the M4 around Newport.

"That is demonstrated by the UK Government’s commitment to the five transformational rail stations we want to see along  the South Wales mainline and our work with the local authorities to improve connectivity."