Call for UK Government finances to help make border bypass happen
The UK Government needs to put forward financial support if a bypass across the Shropshire and Powys border is to be built.
That is according to Welsh transport minister Ken Skates, who has called on the Department of Transport to pledge the financial support for the new roadway over the border in Pant and Llanymynech.
The villages sits on the main route from north west England and the Midlands into Montgomeryshire and down into south Wales, and locals have repeated calls for a bypass to reduce traffic congestion.
Talks are ongoing between the Welsh Government and Highways England regarding a proposed scheme, according to Mr Skates, who said there needs to be some movement from their Westminster counterparts.
Speaking at the opening of the £95 million Newtown Bypass, he said: "
There is a lot of good work going on behind the scenes between the Welsh Government and Highways England, and we now need the Department of Transport to offer the financial support towards building a bypass in Llanymynech.
"At the moment there is a lot of money being spent on projects in the south east of England. There is a need for money to be spent in the north, not just in Wales.
"It would be great to be standing at the opening of a Pant and Llanymynech bypass in a few years time, but there needs to be funding from the UK Government.
"It is not just this area we have been looking to improve, there is work looking at the road between Ruabon and Shrewsbury. It is a bypass some of the way, but there are a number of pinch points along the way and we are looking into ways to improve this."
The idea of a bypass across the border was first talked about in 1999, but almost 20 years on campaigners are still waiting for it to happen.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said the next round of investments will be announced later this year.
She said: "We are working with the Welsh Government and Highways England to explore how cross-border routes can be improved to the benefit of road users and local residents.
“Our second Road Investment Strategy covering the years 2020 to 2025, is due to be published later this year and will inform future funding decisions.”
