Llanbedr bypass: Plaid Cymru 'furious' as road is scrapped

A narrow bridge over the river Artro can lead to traffic congestion

A new road bypass in Snowdonia, which was approved after 60 years of lobbying, has been scrapped.

The one-mile (1.5km) Llanbedr Access Road was given the go-ahead in March.

It was proposed because of severe tailbacks during the summer caused by tourists visiting attractions in the area, including Shell Island campsite.

The Welsh government has reversed support for the project because of climate change. Plaid Cymru called the decision a "bitter betrayal".

The move is part of an ongoing review of Welsh government road projects, and comes after a panel concluded the road was likely to increase carbon emissions.

Leader of the Plaid Cymru-led Gwynedd council Dyfrig Siencyn said he was furious at the decision, saying it shows "a complete lack of understanding" about road usage in rural Wales.

• Snowdonia planners approve Llanbedr bypass

• Rural Llanbedr chapel will be turned into mosque

The Welsh government had committed £10m in investment for the scheme, in addition to £7.5m of EU funding that had been earmarked.

Supporters of the scheme, first mooted 60 years ago, claimed it would slash journey times by an hour, and boost investment by improving access to the former RAF Llanbedr airfield and Snowdonia Aerospace Centre.

Explaining his decision, deputy minister for climate change Lee Waters said: "The climate emergency makes it imperative that we avoid investment that increases carbon emissions, especially in the next 15 years when most cars on the road will still be petrol and diesel vehicles,"

Nearby Shell Island is one of the biggest campsites in Europe, attracting 85,000 visitors a year

It had earlier been proposed by Gwynedd council and approved by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, whose officers said most impacts on the environment could be successfully mitigated while cutting traffic through the village by 90%.

However, a review of all new road schemes funded by the Welsh government was announced in March, undertaken by experts on transport and climate change.

As the Llanbedr scheme was at an advanced stage of preparation, the panel was asked to "fast-track" this decision.

The review asked two questions: Had enough consideration been given to non-transport solutions; and had enough consideration been given to whether the road proposal would lead to increased CO2 emissions on the road network.

It found that it seemed "more likely than not that the scheme will increase CO2 emissions due to induced traffic, higher speeds and embodied carbon, making it more difficult for Wales to achieve decarbonisation targets".

'Crushing blow'

Agreeing with its findings, Mr Waters said: "The chair's report concludes that the proposed scheme does not align well with new Welsh government transport and climate policy, and advises that it is not taken forward."

It has now been scrapped and an alternative package of measures is being considered.

"I am furious with today's announcement by Welsh government" said Gwynedd council leader Mr Siencyn.

"[It is] based on a report which shows a complete lack of understanding of a rural situation in terms of road usage or the desperate need for jobs of high quality in one of the areas with the lowest household incomes.

"It is clear that once again rural areas can be sacrificed on the altar of climate change where the real problem and the answers lie in our urban areas."

The announcement prompted a spat on Twitter between the area's MP and Lee Waters.

Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts accused the government of deciding Llanbedr "must continue to suffer chronic traffic pollution and gridlock".

Mr Waters responded by quoting her own tweet about COP26 back at her, where she said the climate change conference in Glasgow was the "last chance for world leaders to solve the climate crisis".

Ms Saville Roberts replied, accusing Welsh Labour of having "zero vision for rural Wales... save pollution and poverty".

Mr Waters added: "This is about tackling climate change, it's not a question of investment. We've made clear our investment is still on the table to work with the council on sustainable transport schemes to tackle congestion and pollution."

The Welsh Conservatives described the decision to review all new roads as "knee-jerk".

"Traffic in this area is an absolute nightmare and many people saw this access road as a way out of motoring misery," said Darren Millar MS.

"It is a particularly bitter pill to swallow given that some road projects are still going ahead in South Wales, while schemes in North Wales are being binned."