Major road building projects in Wales scrapped to save environment

The decision was announced on Tuesday, 14 February, by deputy minister for climate change Lee Waters MS, who said all infrastructure projects in future must now “reduce carbon emissions and support a shift to public transport, walking and cycling”.

It follows a year-long review by the Welsh Roads Review Panel which was set up in September 2021 and led by transport expert Dr Lynn Sloman, during which 55 road projects were paused and reassessed.

An expert panel, led by transport consultant Lynn Sloman, assessed 59 road projects and made recommendations on which projects to proceed with, which to abandon and which to reconsider in a different form.

Of these, 15 will go ahead, but all the rest have been rejected or will be revised.

It has been confirmed, however, that improvements to the A487 between Fishguard and Cardigan will go ahead, as will the A4076 at Haverfordwest.

In Ceredigion, two passing places road schemes for the A487 at Llanrhystud and between Llanon and Aberarth will no longer take place. Neither will the A44 Aberystwyth to Llangurig Improvement Study.

The Welsh government said all future roads must pass strict criteria which means they must not increase carbon emissions, they must not increase the number of cars on the road, they must not lead to higher speeds and higher emissions, and they must not negatively impact the environment.

Environmental and transport campaigners have welcomed the move, calling it “world-leading”.

Meanwhile, members of the construction industry warned it could put jobs at risk and frustrated motorists have questioned how congestion on existing roads will be improved.

Lee Waters MS announcing the plans in the Senedd on Tuesday. (Image: Senedd TV)

Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Waters said: “Let me be very clear at the outset, we will still invest in roads.

“In fact, we are building new roads as I speak – but we are raising the bar for where new roads are the right response to transport problems.

“We are also investing in real alternatives, including investment in rail, bus, walking and cycling projects.

“Even if we’d wanted to keep progressing all the road schemes in the pipeline we just do not have the money to do so.

“Our capital budget will be 8% lower next year in real terms as a result of the UK Government’s failure to invest in infrastructure.

“With fewer resources it becomes even more important to prioritise and the Roads Review helps us to do that.”

He added: “Our approach for the last 70 years is not working.

“As the review points out the by-pass that was demanded to relieve congestion often ends up leading to extra traffic, which in time brings further demands for extra lanes, wider junctions and more roads.

“Round and round we go, emitting more and more carbon as we do it and we will not get to Net Zero unless we stop doing the same thing over and over.”

To reach net zero by 2050 the minister said the government must be “prepared to follow through”.

Friends of the Earth Cymru director, Haf Elgar, said: “This world-leading report is a breath of fresh air that promises a greener and fairer transport system in Wales.

“The response of the Welsh Government shows they are serious about tackling the climate emergency.

“We must break the cycle of building more roads for more cars – it will only create more congestion, make our air more polluted, and increase the emissions that are wrecking our climate.

“For the sake of the planet and our health, we need investment in better walking and cycling routes, and vastly improved public transport across Wales, including rural areas, to make it easier for people to leave the car at home.”

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, said: “The Welsh Government’s Roads Review marks the most significant change in UK roads building policy over the last 20 years.

“The proposals are bold in principle and forward looking as they realise the economic benefit of placing people and the environment at the heart of transport policy.

“This is a marked shift from other UK administrations’ simplistic and outdated views of building more roads as the answer to all transport woes from congestion to poor air quality.”

Tim Birch, Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager at Wildlife Trusts Wales, said: “It is clear that the Welsh Government has recognised that business as usual is not an option when it comes to road building across Wales – the climate and nature emergencies must be urgently addressed.

"Tackling the emissions from the transport sector, which currently makes up over 15% of the total carbon emissions in Wales, is critical in the fight against climate change. Building more roads to accommodate more cars not only damages the climate but destroys vital habitats for wildlife.

"That’s why the decision by the Welsh Government to set stringent conditions on any new road building is a very important step.

“These conditions include a need to ensure that any future road building does not lead to an increase in the release of carbon from vehicles. But critically, it seeks to ensure that any future roads do not destroy ecologically valuable sites. This step will hopefully see the end to damaging road schemes.”

Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies said: “Labour ministers in the Senedd won’t build new roads in Wales because they’ll ‘induce demand’.

“Because encouraging more visitors to Wales and money into our economy is obviously a bad thing.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said: “I welcome today’s announcement and the intention to divest from pollution-intensive sectors.

“For too long, we’ve spent millions on new roads with no real improvements in road safety or congestion where we need it most.

“At the same time, successive Labour Governments in Cardiff Bay have left public transport, the best way to encourage more sustainable travel, to suffer.

“We now need a long-term plan to invest in safer roads, public transport, and tackling air pollution in our communities.”

Plaid Cymru's Delyth Jewell said many of the areas where road building projects were being paused were already underserved by public transport links.

"We, of course, have to change that over-reliance on cars, but it won't happen overnight. It's the transition period that I'm most concerned about," she said.

She said a pause in road building without more guaranteed investment in public transport could mean longer journeys, increased travel costs and reduced access to important services.