Politicians praise red route axing - but concerns over transport go on

The future of more than 50 road improvement projects for Wales became clear on Tuesday, February 14, after the delayed review commissioned by the Welsh Government was published.

The projects had been paused by the deputy minister for climate change, Lee Waters, when he set up the Welsh Roads Review Panel led by transport expert Dr Lynn Sloman in September 2021 to examine the case for continuing with them.

Among those scrapped were the 'red route' planned for Flintshire, which would have seen a new eight-mile stretch of dual carriageway link the A55 at Northop with the A494 and A550 north of Deeside Parkway Junction via the Flintshire Bridge.

Llyr Gruffydd, has hailed the “victory” for local campaigners who fought determinedly against the project, which they say would have destroyed Leadbrook Woods and lush meadows in Flintshire.

READ MORE: Wildlife Trust 'very pleased' as campaign to axe red route for Flintshire a success

But, the Plaid Cymru Senedd member also criticised the Welsh Government for failing to provide “adequate provision for public transport” and other sustainable transport interventions that would help take pressure off existing roads.

Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “As someone who has supported the campaign to scrap the proposed A55-A548 dual-carriageway dubbed the ‘Red Route’, I welcome the confirmation by the Welsh Government that the scheme will not go ahead.

“It would have been the largest new road proposal in Wales, bringing with it huge environmental damage such as significantly increasing road pollution and destroying Leadbrook Woods and meadows in Flintshire.

 “The decision to scrap the project is a significant victory for all of us who have campaigned for a different approach."

PIC: North Wales MS Llyr Gruffydd.

Mr Gruffydd added: "It should be stressed however that this U-turn by the Welsh Government, although welcome, is not sufficient on its own. We now need to see alternative plans to invest significantly in sustainable travel options, including better provision for public transport, to help take pressure off existing roads. So far the Government has failed to do that.

“Just a fraction of the £300m cost of the red route would completely transform public transport in the area and our focus must now be on securing investment into more sustainable alternatives.”

He added: “The UN General Secretary recently warned that unless we act decisively now we all face a ‘climate catastrophe’. In Wales we have declared a Climate and Nature Emergency, we have legislated to protect the Well-being of Future Generations, and we have put into law a requirement to reach Net Zero by 2050.

“If we are serious about achieving this we must change the way people travel, discouraging road use where possible and encouraging the use of more sustainable travel.

“Defaulting to new road building every time an issue arises will not deliver this. Roads will of course still be built in Wales, but the criteria will now change and the bar for such schemes will now be raised following today’s announcement.”

Delyn MP Rob Roberts echoed Mr Gruffydd's concerns about transport in north Wales.

PIC: Delyn MP Rob Roberts.

He said: "Whilst I applaud the Welsh Labour Government for taking steps to consider the impact on our climate and environment, I believe they are holding the Welsh economy back through lack of investment in our transport network, introducing unpopular road-based initiatives such as the 20mph speed limits, and hiding behind their NetZero target.

“The report published on Tuesday makes 51 recommendations in total and advises that 31 road schemes do not proceed as they are inconsistent with current Welsh government policies.

"While I acknowledge the panel’s expertise and recognise the work undertaken to produce this report, it’s astonishing to me that a report would be commissioned to assess schemes but not to suggest alternatives when plans are recommended to be scrapped.

"They are influenced far too heavily by an unachievable NetZero target; and are not practical given public behaviour and the need for cars based on our existing transport network access to public transport services and the geographic landscape of our community.

“For example, while I am pleased that the recommendations for the Flintshire Corridor (or Red Route) are for it not to go ahead, an issue that I have campaigned on along with local residents for some time, there is still a need for investment and improvement in the A55/A494 pinch points.

"The panel’s reason for stopping this proposal is that “the scheme would increase private car capacity and result in a mode shift from public transport to car transport”.

"However, it seems as though the panel has not considered the fact that the A55 is the only major road that connects the North of England to North Wales’s towns and villages, that it already suffers from heavy seasonal use which won’t disappear because of a lack of improvement, and that their preferred sustainable transport modes are currently non-existent or very poorly connected. As much as people would love to be able to hop on a bus or a train or walk to their destination, this is just not practical.

“By not recognising that car journeys remain essential in Flintshire and more widely across North Wales, the Welsh Government penalises drivers by making the lives of residents and businesses much harder and North Wales a less attractive destination for tourists.

"Public transport in my constituency and across North Wales is unreliable and infrequent. Shutting down road projects and not making any alternative recommendations isn’t going to drive people towards a poor service but will mean that they take their business elsewhere that is less congested.”

PIC: Welsh Government deputy climate change minister, Lee Waters.

Speaking in the Senedd on the day the 'red route' and other projects were scrapped, deputy climate change minister Lee Waters said: "Let me be very clear at the outset, we will still invest in roads. In fact, we are building new roads as I speak - but we are raising the bar for where new roads are the right response to transport problems. 

“We are also investing in real alternatives, including investment in rail, bus, walking and cycling projects.

“Of course, doing that in an age of austerity is very challenging. Not only are we not getting our share of HS2 investment, but the UK Government is pushing many bus services over a cliff edge, as well as slashing our capital investment budgets.

“Even if we’d wanted to keep progressing all the road schemes in the pipeline we just do not have the money to do so. Our capital budget will be 8% lower next year in real terms as a result of the UK Government’s failure to invest in infrastructure.

“With fewer resources it becomes even more important to prioritise and the Roads Review helps us to do that.”