Roads review saw village lose its £14m bypass
The village of Llanbedr was the first victim of the roads review that drastically cut back the number of new highway schemes in Wales. A long awaited £14m bypass was given the go-ahead in March 2020 but then scrapped in November 2021 following a climate change roads review by the Welsh Government.
The problem with congestion in the Gwynedd community has not gone away and always becomes more acute in the summer months. Welsh Government has said that while the "all-singing all-dancing" bypass was scrapped it remained open to a proposed 'low-speed' road plan to relieve pressure from the village centre.
The debate on exactly how this is done goes on but later this month villagers will be presented with some new options. Consultants WSP are working in partnership with Cyngor Gwynedd and civil engineering consultancy YGC to finalise the potential options for improvements in and around Llanbedr, as part of the WelTAG (Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance) Stage Two study.
This has included updating the designs for a potential new road to the west of Llanbedr, taking into account feedback raised by the community, Transport for Wales and Welsh Government.
Cyngor Gwynedd has also confirmed that a "material start" has been made to the original planning permission from March 2020. This was due to expire after five years.
Welsh Government has funded work to meet planning consent conditions by submitting various assessments, specifications, and designs. There has also been some initial minor physical works on Cyngor Gwynedd-owned land by Jones Bros.
They are clear to point out this does not commit them 100% to develop the original proposal but it could smooth the way with planning if a new road is the chosen route forward. Meetings will be held in the village this month to display the proposed options.
WSP have also been putting together a microsimulation traffic model of the local area, which will be used to test the impact of the options considered on the road network. This has involved the development of models to reflect time periods like peak summer season, as well as during less busy periods.
A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesperson said: “Cyngor Gwynedd is collaborating with partners to identify a transport solution to alleviate traffic problems in Llanbedr.
“This includes a multi-agency Llanbedr Working Group which meets on a monthly basis to agree and deliver local transport improvements in the short-term, as well as considering longer-term options to alleviate the area’s longstanding traffic problems.
“Transport consultants WSP are carrying out a WelTAG exercise which is reviewed through the various stages and has included co-ordinating and progressing key tasks associated with this work. Local residents and representatives continue to play a key part in the WelTAG process, and their valuable views and feedback are vital to finding solutions to the traffic problems experienced in Llanbedr.
“To progress this important work, an additional £400,000 has been made available from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund for 2024/5.
"This was to employ a contractor to undertake the work required for a material start in terms of the planning consent for a new road and used to fulfil nine of the current planning consent conditions by submitting various assessments, specifications, and designs. There has also been some initial minor physical works on Cyngor Gwynedd-owned land.
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