Welsh roads review: one year on

Is the love still there?

So here we are, St Valentine’s day, 2024, a year to the day on which the Deputy Minister for Climate Change reshaped the future of road building in Wales.

When he published the roads review and delivery plan, Lee Waters made three things clear:

1. There was no ‘ban’ on road investment, rather, any new projects would need to contribute towards “achieving modal shift”, with a focus on minimising carbon emissions, not increasing road capacity, not increasing emissions through higher vehicle speeds and not adversely affecting ecologically valuable sites. This has often been overlooked when being reported on.
2. Wales would not be benefiting from the UK Government’s high speed train investments.
3. The Welsh Government was having to work within the parameters of shrinking capital investment budgets (8% less in real terms in 2024, due to the UK Government budget).

So, what progress has been made in the past year? Has it been all a bed of roses? Or has it been interspersed with some thorny challenges along the way?

Progress made

While it’s probably too soon to measure the impact of the roads review on Net Zero targets, there have been a number of new initiatives since its publication, including:

• The launch of the Welsh Government’s Draft Programme for Future Road Investment, which sets out plans for £1.2 billion of investment in road schemes over the next five years. These are projects that pass the roads review tests.
• A boost of £58 million for active travel schemes, including new cycle lanes, pedestrian crossings, and walking routes. All 22 local authorities in Wales will receive a minimum of £500k which can be used for future scheme developments and minor works, such as new crossing points, promotional work and cycle parking.
• £46 million for a Bus Transitions Fund for 2023-2024 to cover the ending of the Bus Emergency Fund. In December, the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James announced that up to a further £6.8m would be made available should it be required.
• A Local Transport Fund: An initiative to improve the accessibility of public transport. Local Authorities can use it to make bus stops more accessible and improve bus journey times.
• Continued development of The South Wales Metro, which will connect Cardiff, Newport, and Swansea. The metro is expected to open in 2026.
• The opening of a new £46m bridge across the River Dyfi linking north and south Wales near Machynlleth, which incorporates active travel infrastructure. This replaces an old 19th-century bridge that was prone to frequent flooding leaving communities isolated.
• Plans for a new Llanharan bypass have been submitted to the Welsh Government after a previous project was rejected as part of the roads review. The revised proposals prioritise new bus services, active travel routes, a lower speed limit and reducing embedded carbon. Ancient woodland that would have been destroyed by the previous proposal will now be safeguarded.

The thorny Challenges ahead

The past twelve months has seen some steady progress, although the high profile negative political campaigning around the fictitious ‘war on motorists’ has not helped. It has resulted in a lot of public misunderstanding about the aims of the policies.

At a local level, there is concern about the withdrawal of road projects that no longer qualify under the new tests. Llanbedr in North Wales is a case in point. The public outcry from the withdrawal of a long-awaited bypass resulted in the Deputy Minister hot footing it to the village to meet aggrieved residents. This was closely followed by an announcement that the Welsh Government would support a new low-speed road plan for the village.

Details of the revised proposals have not yet been announced although WSP have recently been commissioned by Cyngor Gwynedd to undertake a Welsh transport appraisal guidance (WelTAG) Stage One study. This will investigate the issues and opportunities in the area, to identify solutions to improve travel through the village and in the wider area.

The scrapping of the proposed third Menai bridge also received a negative public reaction, despite the Deputy Minister’s explanation that the Welsh Government did not have the £400 million available for such a project, even if it had been approved. This had been reviewed by the North Wales Transport Commission which proposed alternative ways to improve connectivity across the Menai Straits.

One of the main criticisms levelled at the Welsh Government is that it cut the road building programme but didn’t give people alternatives. This is a fair criticism but one that the government has struggled to address given the financial constraints it faces. However, there are real concerns about the loss of bus services and the potential for a greater number of cuts to the network in the future. Its main solution is to press ahead with the Bus Bill, focusing on franchising which the Deputy Minister believes will help reduce costs and improve the bus network.

The way forward

Whilst the first year of the Welsh Government’s Roads Review has provided some positive steps towards a more sustainable transport future for Wales, there is still a lot of work to be done and hearts to be won over.

Some of the priorities for the next twelve months are to:

• Secure funding for at least some of the schemes set out in the Draft Programme for Future Road Investment.
• Address community concerns about withdrawing road schemes and work with them to come up with positive alternatives which deliver on environmental and social outcomes.
• Find funding to improve public transport and active travel to continue the shift from cars to sustainable options. This needs to be supported with continued behaviour change campaigns.

The roads review kick-started a long term transformational change in how new transport infrastructure is prioritised in Wales. Whether the Welsh Government ultimately delivers on the promises will depend on it remaining steadfast to the process and whether it can find the funding necessary to convince people to use their cars less.

As if the process wasn’t tricky enough already, on the 13th December 2023, Mark Drakeford announced he would be stepping down in March. As a result, the Welsh Labour party is currently in the process of choosing a new First Minister for Wales. Whichever candidate is successful, it remains to be seen how committed they will be to continuing the legacy of the Welsh Government’s net zero goals. Let’s hope that St Valentine’s Day 2025 will be roses all the way!