MP’s urgent talks on long-awaited bypass
An MP says he is making progress in helping win a bypass for villages in his constituency.
North Shropshire MP, Owen Paterson is demanding help for the villages of Pant and Llanymynech.
People living in the adjoining villages near Oswestry have been campaigning for more than 30 years for a bypass for the A483 trunk road.
The main north/south Wales arterial road crosses into Shropshire for a few miles which include taking the national traffic the two villages.
Traffic includes heavy goods vehicles that this year have included monster transporters under police escort taking parts for wind farms into the heart of mid Wales.
Now, after three decades, there is a hope that a scheme to build a bypass could tap into a special Government fund using money ring fenced from road tax.
Originally it was thought that only A-roads, maintained by local authorities would benefit from the new scheme.
But Mr Paterson has been told by transport minister, Chris Grayling that money can be used to build bypasses where the main road goes straight through the middle of a town or village such as Pant and Llanymynech.
Now the MP is looking for urgent talks with the Welsh Assembly transport minister, Ken Skates to ensure his support for a bypass.
"It is vital that the Welsh Assembly is involved in any moves for a bypass as the A483 is a major north/south Welsh arterial road. We need to see if we can push this forward. It is something that we have to grasp very quickly."
Mr Paterson says that while the road is predominately used for the benefit of Wales, the greatest problems are felt by residents in England.
"We need a cross border look at how we can build this bypass.
The £1 billion annual fund is being set up for councils to improve or replace the most important A-roads in England.
The radical funding plan forms part of a new Transport Investment Strategy to prioritise key local road schemes and rebalance the economy.
Central to proposals is the creation of national Major Road Network, created by combining Highways England’s 4,200 miles of strategic roads with 3,800 miles of council-controlled ‘A’ roads.
Priority will be given to council schemes that combat congestion and improve connections around towns and cities. Part of the cash will used as a bypass fund to alleviate the misery of lorries and through-traffic thundering through villages.
The money is expected to be ring-fenced from the near £6 billion raised annually from vehicle excise duty.
