News

Build the M4 relief road – say Welsh Conservatives in Senedd debate

Published

8 months ago

June 16, 2025

THIS month marks six years since the Welsh Labour Government formally cancelled the M4 relief road project near Newport — a decision that continues to divide opinion across Wales.

The proposed six-lane motorway, designed to bypass the heavily congested Brynglas Tunnels, was scrapped in June 2019 by First Minister Mark Drakeford. At the time, he cited the £1.4 billion cost, the ecological importance of the Gwent Levels, and the Welsh Government’s commitment to reduce emissions from transport.

Despite over £150 million of public money already spent on preparatory work and planning, the project was abandoned. It has since become a key battleground in the debate over infrastructure, the economy, and climate policy in Wales.

Welsh Conservatives: “Build it now”

This week, the Welsh Conservatives brought a motion before the Senedd urging ministers to revisit the decision and move forward with delivering the M4 relief road.

Sam Rowlands MS, Conservative Shadow Secretary for Finance, Transport and Infrastructure, said:

“Labour’s decision to scrap the M4 relief road wasted huge amounts of money and was an attack on Welsh motorists.

An M4 relief road would have alleviated traffic demands, whilst boosting our economy and investment into Wales.

Welsh Conservatives will always be on the side of motorists, and that’s why we’re calling for the M4 relief road to be delivered.”

Party leader Andrew RT Davies added that the relief road is essential if Wales is serious about attracting investment and improving productivity:

“We desperately need an M4 Relief Road, to improve transport infrastructure and attract investment into South Wales.”

Labour and Plaid: Environmental costs and funding gaps

The Labour-led Welsh Government has defended its stance, arguing that major roadbuilding projects are incompatible with the urgent need to reduce emissions and shift towards sustainable transport. The decision to scrap the project was reinforced by a wider moratorium on new roadbuilding, introduced in 2021.

Lee Waters MS, then Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, was clear: “We won’t get to Net Zero unless we stop doing the same thing over and over again. Building more roads to deal with congestion is not a long-term solution.”

Plaid Cymru, meanwhile, has focused on funding, arguing that the UK Government has failed to provide the necessary infrastructure investment. Ben Lake MP told Parliament last week:

“This new money does not come close to the £1.8 billion owed to Wales. And simply, there’s no additional money for road infrastructure and to even revisit things like the M4 relief road.”

How did a road that hasn’t been built cost millions?

Although the M4 relief road was never constructed, the Welsh Government still spent more than £150 million of public money on the project — a figure that continues to raise eyebrows.

The costs stem not from construction, but from a wide range of preparatory and legal work undertaken over several years before the scheme was cancelled in 2019.

A significant portion of the money — over £15 million — was spent on compulsory purchase of homes and land along the proposed route. At least 29 residential properties were bought, some just weeks before First Minister Mark Drakeford pulled the plug. Two houses in particular were purchased in April 2019 for £575,000 and £400,000 respectively.

Millions more went into planning, environmental studies, traffic modelling, engineering designs, and the costs of the public inquiry — a legal process that included months of hearings and hundreds of pages of technical submissions.

Specialist consultants were hired to advise on road design, ecological mitigation, legal compliance, transport economics and flood risk — all of which are standard for major infrastructure proposals. These reports were produced in line with UK Government transport policy requirements and the Welsh Government’s own planning framework.

While no tarmac was ever laid, these upfront costs reflect the extensive legal, technical and bureaucratic groundwork required for a nationally significant road project. As critics have pointed out, hundreds of millions were spent only to cancel the scheme, with no visible infrastructure to show for it.

The properties bought under compulsory purchase are now being managed by the Welsh Government’s property division, with some rented out. However, their long-term use remains uncertain.

The cost of inaction

While some academics have cautioned that road projects can induce more traffic and fail to deliver long-term economic transformation, most experts agree that Wales has already lost hundreds of millions of pounds by not building the M4 relief road — and the costs continue to mount.

The Freight Transport Association warned in 2019 that cancellation could result in “hundreds of millions of pounds in lost private sector investment.”

A 2009 business case suggested the scheme would deliver £695 million in net benefits over its lifetime.

The CBI has repeatedly said that poor transport connectivity is one of the biggest barriers to attracting new business to South Wales.

The Welsh Government’s own 2016 report found that congestion on the M4 imposes significant costs on productivity, freight movement, and tourism — all of which act as a drag on economic performance.

Even critics of the original scheme concede that the current traffic bottleneck at the Brynglas Tunnels remains one of the worst in the UK, with the South East Wales Transport Commission ranking it as the 4th most congested urban motorway in Britain and among the top 50 in Europe.

Despite earlier warnings that the relief road might only offer short-term gains, the economic and logistical price of inaction is becoming harder to ignore.

The motion

The motion brought forward by the Welsh Conservatives reads:

To propose that the Senedd:

Regrets that this month marks six years since the M4 relief road project was scrapped.
Calls on the Welsh Government to deliver an M4 relief road.

Labour and Plaid Cymru are expected to vote against the motion, but the debate has once again brought national attention to the M4 corridor’s ongoing transport crisis — and the growing cost of not fixing it.

Community

Princess of Wales praised for ‘skill’ during local wool mill and factory visit

Published

3 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Royal tour shines spotlight on west Wales textile heritage and local jobs

CATHERINE, Princess of Wales was told “she’s got the skill” after trying her hand at traditional textile work during a visit to west Wales on Tuesday (Feb 3).

The royal spent the day meeting staff and apprentices at two well-known manufacturers – Melin Tregwynt in Pembrokeshire and Hiut Denim in Cardigan – highlighting the region’s long-standing reputation for craftsmanship and small-scale, high-quality production.

Stitching and mending at historic mill

At Melin Tregwynt, a family-run woollen mill that now operates as an employee-owned trust, the princess was guided through each stage of production, from weaving to finishing.

In the quality control room she was invited to mend a blanket using a needle and thread, carefully repairing the fabric under the watchful eye of experienced staff.

Paula Harding, who has worked at the mill for more than a decade, praised her technique, saying: “She did it right – and she didn’t go through the other side. That’s skill. She’s got the skill.”

Laughing, the princess told workers: “You make it look so easy,” adding that the craft was clearly “a labour of love”.

She asked questions about the history of the business, which has produced Welsh-designed blankets and throws for more than a century, and spoke with several generations of the same families who have worked at the mill.

‘Made in Wales’ denim

Later, the princess travelled to Hiut Denim, the Cardigan-based firm credited with bringing jeans manufacturing back to the town after large factories closed in the early 2000s.

The company now focuses on small-batch, premium denim and employs skilled cutters and machinists locally.

During a tour of the factory floor, the princess tried cutting out a pair of jeans and helped stitch a “Made in Wales” label onto a finished pair that staff said would be presented to the Prince of Wales.

“He will love those,” she replied.

She joked that there was “no pressure” when handed the cutting tools and said she enjoys making clothes herself, admitting the most adventurous project she had attempted was sewing a pair of pyjamas.

The royal also stopped to greet Barney, the factory’s English cocker spaniel, drawing smiles from staff.

Meeting well-wishers

Crowds gathered outside both sites to catch a glimpse of the visitor, with the princess spending time chatting with families and children before moving on.

The visit forms part of ongoing efforts by the royal household to showcase traditional industries and skilled manufacturing across the UK, with west Wales’ textile sector recognised as a key part of the region’s heritage and economy.

For workers at both businesses, the message was simple: the spotlight on locally made products and homegrown skills was just as important as the royal presence itself.

***Local flavour: The Princess of Wales chats with staff and accepts a jar of Crwst’s Welsh honey butter before departing Cardigan following her visit to Hiut Denim (Pic: Crwst).***

Crime

Man spared jail after admitting child abuse image offences

Published

3 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Police seized devices after intelligence linked Pembrokeshire address to illegal cloud storage accounts

A 23-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has avoided immediate custody after admitting making and possessing indecent images of children, including extreme bestiality material.

Ryan Beale, aged 23, appeared at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing this week.

At his first hearing, before magistrates on December 31, he entered guilty pleas and being granted conditional bail.

The court heard the case followed an intelligence-led police investigation linking Beale to a Dropbox account suspected of storing illegal material. Officers executed a warrant at his home on December 18.

During his arrest, Beale told officers: “I don’t use Dropbox,” claiming his email and Google accounts had been compromised.

However, police seized his mobile phone and computer equipment. A forensic examination found the email address connected to the Dropbox account stored on his device. Although the account had also been accessed from overseas locations, including Nigeria, investigators were satisfied it was controlled by Beale and linked to a larger cloud storage account containing significant volumes of illegal content.

Officers discovered 120 Category A images, 36 Category B images and 29 Category C images.

Category A represents the most serious level of abuse.

The material included extreme and disturbing bestiality content. Further Category C images were also located within the Dropbox account.

Two identified victims depicted in the images were girls aged nine and eleven.

Beale initially denied the allegations but later admitted the offences.

Passing sentence, at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday (Feb 3) the His Honour Geraint Walters said: “This was not an innocent pastime. Every time an adult views that image, a child is still being abused.”

He added that an early guilty plea had spared Beale immediate custody but warned the offences would have lifelong consequences.

“The public have no time for anybody doing this,” the judge said. “If you’re doing this, the police will find out. They didn’t knock on your door randomly — they knew what they were looking for.”

Beale was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £300 in prosecution costs.

The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, ordered the forfeiture and destruction of his electronic devices, and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

“If you keep yourself out of trouble, you won’t have to serve that custodial sentence,” the judge told him.

Entertainment

One Night in Dublin returns to the Torch with a brand-new show

Published

3 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ONE NIGHT IN DUBLIN is heading back to the stage at the Torch Theatre with a lively new production fronted by renowned Irish singer Danny Muldoon.

Tickets are already selling fast for the feel-good celebration of Irish music, which promises two hours of songs, stories and plenty of craic.

Backed by an award-winning five-piece band, Muldoon leads audiences through a packed set of sing-along favourites including Galway Girl, Tell Me Ma, The Irish Rover, Dirty Old Town, Whiskey in the Jar, The Wild Rover and The Galway Shawl, along with many more well-loved classics.

The show recreates the atmosphere of a bustling Dublin pub, complete with fiddle, whistle, guitars, banjo, bodhrán, accordion and driving drums, transporting the audience straight into “Murphy’s Tavern” for an unforgettable night of live entertainment.

Fans can also expect hits from Irish legends including The Pogues, The Saw Doctors, The Dubliners, The Fureys, Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys.

One Night in Dublin comes to the Torch Theatre on Thursday, March 26 at 7:30pm.

Tickets cost £26.50. Visit the theatre website or call the Box Office on (01646) 695267 to book.