Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, has called on the Welsh and UK Governments to set up a joint working party to examine the viability of a bypass linking two villages straddling the England-Wales border.
Mr George, who is a member of the National Assembly’s Petitions Committee, made the recommendation as the Committee continued this week to consider the merits of a public petition brought forward by the Llanymynech and Pant Bypass Action Group. The Group have called on the Welsh Government to open up wider public debate on potentially reinstating plans for a bypass. However, as the Highways Agency advised UK Ministers not to progress with previous proposals for such a scheme, Welsh Ministers said the decision made it extremely difficult to advance any plans without cross-border co-operation. Nevertheless, the Transport Minister, Edwina Hart AM, did commit to examine the options open to Welsh Government along the Welsh trunk road network and report back to the Committee.
At a previous Committee meeting, Mr George called for further research to be undertaken by the Assembly’s Research Service, to see what working relationships were in place between the Welsh and UK Government regarding cross-border transport infrastructure. The briefing paper for AMs identified that a Memorandum of Understanding exists between the Welsh and UK Governments, as well as an associated Concordat, which sets out a practical framework for working relationships between the two governments. Part of that agreement states that joint working parties may be established where appropriate to investigate matters of mutual interest. Mr George seized on this disclosure and called on both governments to take the necessary steps to establish a group to examine again the long-term viability of a bypass.
Mr George who spoke at length during the Committee meeting said:
“There is real local desire on both sides of the border to drive this proposal forward.
“This Committee has received a wide range of positive responses from individuals and organisations to reinvestigate previous bypass proposals, which included detailed submissions from both Powys and Shropshire Councils.
“However, both communities remain frustrated that their respective government have been slow to react to this issue.
“There is no doubt that there are real road safety concerns here and that the current system does need changing; it simply isn’t fit for purpose.
“As this is an issue of cross-border concern, it is going to take the engagement and commitment of governments and agencies on both sides of the border to solve this long-standing traffic problem.
“Therefore, I think a joint working party would be most appropriate vehicle to encourage this cross-border collaboration and firmly establish whether a bypass could be a transport project of mutual interest.
“As Mrs. Hart continues to explore the options open to her, I hope she will give this recommendation due and careful consideration.”
