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Wales Online
a day ago
- Business
- Wales Online
'The Welsh people have had to suffer' over lack of action on M4
'The Welsh people have had to suffer' over lack of action on M4 The Brynglas tunnels were called a "national 26 years of mismanagement" (Image: South Wales Echo ) People in Wales have had to suffer because of the Welsh Government's decision to scrap the M4 relief road, Senedd members said. A debate in Cardiff Bay heard arguments from a series of Conservative Senedd members criticising the decision, made six years ago this month not to proceed with a £1.5bn plan to divert the M4 south of Newport on a new six-lane route to avoid the Brynglas tunnels bottleneck. One Tory MS said the Brynglas tunnels were a "national 26 years of mismanagement". The Welsh Conservatives picked the M4 relief road as the topic of their debate in the meeting of the full Senedd, calling for the Welsh Government to put the idea back on the table. You can read the history to the debate here. Both Plaid Cymru and Labour voted against the motion. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Former deputy minister for transport Lee Waters told the Senedd "new roads lead to more traffic". Article continues below He said before the tolls on the Severn Bridge were removed in 2018 traffic was forecast to rise by 17%. However, he said National Highways figures show it is now up 34% compared to when there were tolls. "That's what happens when you increase road capacity, when you encourage and incentivise driving—32,000 vehicles a day now crossing the Severn bridge. A University of London study last year showed that, as a result, more people are now commuting from Newport to Bristol because what happens when you increase road capacity is people simply move further away from their place of work. So they drive further. "As a result, house prices within a 5km range of the bridge are now up by 13%. Double the rise in Newport. So that's what happens. People travel more. "They travel further from their place of living to their work, and more journeys are created. So, as soon as you've built the road, the traffic congestion levels are up and, lo and behold, what's the next demand? Build another road to relieve the congestion. And round and round we go. And the evidence is clear, it doesn't work." However, the Welsh Conservatives criticised the scheme being stopped. Welsh Conservative MS Sam Rowlands told colleagues: "The Welsh Government spent £135.7 million of public money on plans for the M4 relief road before scrapping it. "FOI requests from the Welsh Conservatives on the scheme found that 29 homes were purchased for over £15 million through compulsory purchase orders. "Two of these properties were bought for £575,000 and £400,000 in April 2019, just two months before the First Minister decided to ditch the scheme. "At least £44 million was spent by the Welsh Government on development costs and a public inquiry, an inquiry that in fact backed the building of the relief road, saying the economic benefit of the project would outweigh the cost by two to one. "At every step of this journey, there's been indecision and money wasted. "At the end of it all, it's been the Welsh people who've had to suffer as a result." Fellow Conservative MS Gareth Davies said: "The Brynglas tunnels have become a national symbol—a bottleneck where people sit stationary for miles in traffic. It's a perfect illustration of 26 years of mismanagement". Transport minister Ken Skates refuted the Welsh Government had "stood still" in improving things at the M4. Article continues below "Lord Burns and the South East Wales Transport Commission put forward recommendations on both the short-and-long-term solutions to relieve congestion, and the short-term measures have been fully implemented on the M4," he said. He referenced plans for the so-called Burns stations - east Cardiff, west Newport, Somerton, Llanwern, and Magor and Undy - which saw a financial commitment from the UK Government in Rachel Reeves' spending review. You can see the five stations here.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wales' papers: Medics failed student who died
Western Mail Daily Post South Wales Evening Post The Flintshire Leader South Wales Echo The Wrexham Leader South Wales Argus Abergavenny Chronicle Monmouthshire Beacon Brecon & Radnor Express Cambrian News Tenby Observer Barry and District News Penarth Times Free Press Series
Wales Online
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Sign up to our newsletter The Cardiff Drop
Sign up to our newsletter The Cardiff Drop Introducing our free Cardiff Drop newsletter, and why, if you love the Welsh capital, you need to subscribe Here is Cardiff's latest newsletter (Image: Matthew Horwood ) Do you want everything you need to know about Cardiff, from multiple sources across the city, in one place? Fed up with flitting between news sites and popular social media accounts to get all your news? Then the Cardiff Drop is just what you need. It's an easy way to stay on top of what's happening across the city, all in one spot. From hard-hitting news, like crime and court reports, to updates on new openings, concerts and sport, The Cardiff Drop keeps you in the loop with everything happening in the city. Steph Colderick, who has called Cardiff home for four years and fallen in love with the city, will be writing and gathering all the biggest news and events the city has to offer. With a passion for Cardiff, a love of exploring every nook and cranny, and a desire to stay on top of all things local, why not join Steph and rediscover the city? The newsletter will cover everything Cardiff (Image: South Wales Echo ) What will be in The Cardiff Drop? Sent three times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday the newsletter covers news, what's on, sport and community events. Article continues below The community noticeboard section allows you to send in any news or events you want featured. No more scrolling through never-ending feeds. Best of all? It's totally free. How do I sign up to The Cardiff Drop? The Cardiff Drop will be published on Substack , an independent platform with no ads, making for a cleaner reading experience. You can read the newsletter there on your desktop or the app, or simply from your email inbox. So not only do you not have to go searching for the news itself, or wait for the algorithm to decide what you might like to see, you don't even have to search for the newsletter. Article continues below Once it's live it's sent directly to you, to read at your leisure. Sign up below for the free The Cardiff Drop newsletter.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wales' papers: Stag do death and pedestrian's lucky crash escape
Western Mail Daily Post South Wales Evening Post The Flintshire Leader South Wales Echo The Wrexham Leader South Wales Argus Abergavenny Chronicle Monmouthshire Beacon Brecon & Radnor Express Cambrian News Tenby Observer Barry and District News Penarth Times Free Press Series
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
The perfect sunshine treat for all the family - Free Six pack of ice creams at Iceland & The Food Warehouse
The perfect sunshine treat for all the family - Free Six pack of ice creams at Iceland & The Food Warehouse Ice cream lovers, rejoice - you can pick up not one, but six FREE ice creams with the South Wales Echo, South Wales Evening Post and Western Mail's great offer! As the UK revels in unprecedented good weather, we have the perfect giveaway for our readers. We've teamed up with Iceland and The Food Warehouse to give you the chance to pick up a free pack of six Iceland Ice Cream Cones (worth £1.50) in-store from Wednesday 14th May 2025 until close of stores on Tuesday 20th May 2025. You can choose from Strawberry & Vanilla, Chocolate & Nut, White Chocolate or Toffee. To receive your free six pack of ice cream cones, we will be printing the vouchers between Wednesday May 14 and Tuesday May 20, 2025 in the South Wales Echo, South Wales Evening Post and Western Mail newspaper. There will be a total of five vouchers printed between Wednesday and Tuesday. To receive your free product, simply present the voucher printed in your paper at the checkout. Article continues below Cool down with over 150 ice creams and lollies at Iceland and The Food Warehouse. From classic favourites to exciting new flavours, Iceland and The Food Warehouse have got something for everyone. Indulge in a delicious range of own- brand treats, or stick with the big names you know and love - like Magnum, Solero, Cornetto, Ben & Jerry's, Cadbury, Walls, and more. Whatever your flavour, your perfect scoop is waiting. Warning: May cause big smiles (and brain freeze). Offer subject to availability. Terms apply – see voucher for details.
