News

Labour and Plaid vote down M4 relief road motion

Published

8 months ago

June 18, 2025

LABOUR and Plaid Cymru have voted against a motion by the Welsh Conservatives to revive the M4 relief road project, six years after it was scrapped by the Welsh Government.

The vote took place in the Senedd on Wednesday (June 18), with the motion calling on the Welsh Government to deliver the long-delayed scheme, originally intended to tackle severe congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels near Newport. Despite prior spending of over £150 million on preparatory work, land purchases and planning, the project was formally cancelled in 2019 by then First Minister Mark Drakeford.

The motion noted the anniversary of the cancellation and called for the relief road to be built. It was defeated, with Labour and Plaid members voting against.

Speaking after the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Finance, Transport and Infrastructure, Sam Rowlands MS, said the failure to deliver the project continued to harm Wales’s economic prospects. He 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 alleviate traffic demands, whilst boosting our economy and investment into Wales. The Welsh Conservatives will always be on the side of motorists, and it is disappointing that today, Labour and Plaid Cymru have once again denied the people of Wales a solution to alleviate traffic, attract investment, and grow our economy.”

Labour ministers have consistently defended the decision not to proceed, citing the project’s high cost—then estimated at £1.4 billion—as well as environmental concerns, particularly the impact on the Gwent Levels. The policy position is also tied to the Welsh Government’s climate targets and the moratorium on new road-building projects announced in 2021. That freeze, led by former Deputy Minister Lee Waters MS, aims to prioritise active travel and public transport over further motorway development.

Plaid Cymru have also argued that the UK Government has not provided sufficient funding for major infrastructure schemes in Wales, making the project financially unviable in the current climate. In a recent Commons debate, Plaid MP Ben Lake said there was no additional money for road infrastructure and that revisiting the relief road would not be possible under existing budgets.

Nonetheless, pressure continues to mount. The M4 near Newport remains one of the worst congestion hotspots in Europe, ranked fourth in the UK among urban motorway delays. Business leaders and freight operators have repeatedly called for urgent improvements, arguing that the cost of inaction now outweighs the original outlay. Some studies, including a 2009 business case, predicted a £695 million economic benefit over time, with a return of £2 for every £1 spent.

More than £15 million has already been spent acquiring 29 homes under compulsory purchase, with some bought just months before the scheme was cancelled. The remainder of the £150 million total went on design work, environmental reports, legal costs, and inquiry proceedings. Although some academic reviews have raised questions about the long-term effectiveness of new roads in reducing congestion, most observers agree that the delays and economic cost of not proceeding with the scheme have been substantial.

Wednesday’s vote ends the latest attempt to revive the project, at least for now. But with congestion worsening and public pressure rising, the issue is unlikely to go away.

News

Two-year ban for motorist caught with three drugs in system

Published

1 minute ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Pennar woman almost three times over legal limits

A PENNAR motorist has been banned from the roads for two years after being caught behind the wheel with three illegal drugs in her system.

Stacey Wootton, 29, was stopped by police on September 2 as she drove her Volkswagen Golf through Amphion Court, Pembroke Dock.

“The officers’ attention was drawn to a defective light on her vehicle,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates.

After a roadside drug swipe proved positive, further blood tests showed Wootton had 130 micrograms of cocaine in her system, along with 800 micrograms of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine and 2.4 micrograms of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. The legal limits are 10, 50 and 2 respectively.

The court was told that Wootton, of Military Road, Pennar, Pembroke Dock, has no previous convictions.

After pleading guilty to three charges of drug-driving, her solicitor Mike Kelleher said she had since “taken steps to improve her lot”.

After considering a probation report, magistrates disqualified Wootton from driving for 24 months. She was fined £240 and ordered to pay a £96 surcharge and £85 costs.

Charity

Age Cymru urges action on hidden crisis facing older people ahead of Senedd election

Published

7 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Charity warns one in three over-50s struggling with costs, healthcare delays and digital exclusion

AGE CYMRU has launched a manifesto calling on political parties to tackle what it describes as “the crisis people don’t see” facing older people across Wales ahead of the Senedd elections in May.

The national charity for older people says rising living costs, pressure on NHS and care services, poor transport links and digital exclusion are leaving many pensioners struggling day-to-day and feeling increasingly isolated.

By 2030, more than 1.3 million people in Wales will be aged over fifty – around forty per cent of the population.

But despite making up a growing share of the country, the charity says too many older people are being “pushed to the margins”.

Age Cymru’s annual survey found nearly half (46%) of older people struggled with the cost of living in the past year, with sixty-two per cent cutting back on essentials such as heating and food.

Access to healthcare is also deteriorating. Half of respondents said they had difficulty securing GP appointments, with waits of four weeks or more now common. More than half of those seeking social care described the process as difficult or very difficult.

Digital exclusion is another growing concern. Thirty-one per cent of people aged over seventy-five in Wales have no internet access at home – roughly double the UK average – meaning many cannot easily access services that have moved online.

Manifesto demands

The charity is calling on the next Welsh Government to deliver seven key changes:

• Easier access to health services
• Timely, quality social care
• Action on pensioner poverty
• Reliable public transport
• Stronger community connections and Equality Act compliance
• Offline access to services for those without digital skills
• Support to keep homes warm

Real lives affected

For Terry Lemington, 72, from South Wales, the problems are personal.

While caring for his late wife, he said he was unaware of support he could have received until just ten weeks before she died.

“It wasn’t until ten weeks before my wife passed away that I was told I could have had additional support to help me care for her,” he said.

“That included a stairlift, which in the end was due to be fitted on the day she passed away. I just wasn’t aware of the support that was available.”

Terry, who does not drive, says limited bus services leave him cut off.

“There are hourly buses to larger towns and a small village bus, but they finish at mid-day on Saturday and there is nothing on Sunday. I’m completely cut off,” he added.

“Right now it feels like older people are pushed to the margins. But we still have so much to contribute.”

Economic impact

Victoria Lloyd, Chief Executive of Age Cymru, said the issue was not only moral but economic.

“These stories are sadly all too common,” she said.

“Older people contribute around £2 billion a year to the Welsh economy, whether through paid work, childcare for families or volunteering.

“Investing in the health and wellbeing of older people is an investment in Wales as a whole.”

She added that while the Welsh Government’s Age Friendly Wales strategy had made progress, more decisive action was needed.

“We’re calling on all parties seeking votes this year to read our manifesto and ensure older people are properly considered in their policies and promises.”