THE WELSH GOVERNMENT is to begin detailed work on options for a third Menai crossing, while ruling out a return to the controversial M4 Black Route around Newport.

Deputy Transport Minister Mark Hooper MS told the Senedd that repeated closures of the Menai Suspension Bridge had exposed wider problems with the resilience of Wales’ transport network.

The bridge, which is around 200 years old, has been hit by closures after drivers ignored a 7.5-tonne weight limit. Ministers say each breach requires precautionary inspections, causing further disruption.

Works to stabilise and preserve the bridge, including repairs to crossbeams, bolts and other structural components, are expected to continue until spring 2027.

Mr Hooper said the Welsh Government was working with North Wales Police and the DVSA on stronger enforcement.

Third crossing back on table

The minister said the Menai crossings must be treated as one system, with Britannia Bridge carrying most traffic but vulnerable to high winds, while the Menai Suspension Bridge has lower capacity and ongoing maintenance needs.

He confirmed that work would now begin on “detailed options” for a third Menai crossing, building on previous studies.

The move marks a significant shift after earlier plans for a third crossing were scrapped following the Welsh Government’s roads review.

M4 plan due in autumn

Mr Hooper also confirmed a new short programme of work on the M4 corridor around Newport, one of Wales’ busiest and most congested roads.

However, he said the Government did not believe the previously proposed Black Route was “a credible option”.

Instead, ministers will look at road, rail and bus measures, including public transport alternatives, targeted improvements to the existing road network, and better links between strategic and local transport.

The minister said he would report back to the Senedd in early autumn with the Government’s intended way forward.

He said both the Menai crossings and the M4 showed the challenge of managing ageing infrastructure under increasing demand.

THE DEPUTY First Minister has promised a new approach to tackling poverty in Wales, with expanded childcare, a Welsh Child Payment pilot and a new child poverty plan with clear targets.

Sioned Williams, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Equality, used her first oral statement to the Senedd to outline the new Welsh Government’s priorities.

She said the government’s work would be built around “respect, solidarity and fair play”, with a focus on reducing poverty, tackling inequality and building safer and more united communities.

Childcare expansion

One of the main commitments is a major expansion of funded childcare.

The Welsh Government says work has already begun on what it describes as a “transformational” childcare offer, which it claims will become the most generous in the UK.

An expert steering group has now been appointed to help guide the rollout. Its work will focus on phased delivery, workforce planning, improving access for families and simplifying the application process.

The government is already working with local authorities to speed up the delivery of 12.5 hours of funded childcare for all two-year-olds.

The longer-term aim is to provide 20 hours of funded childcare each week for all children aged from nine months to four years.

Welsh Child Payment

Progress has also been announced on Cynnal, the Welsh Child Payment pilot.

An expert group will be set up as part of the government’s first 100 days plan. It will be co-chaired by Sioned Williams and Steffan Evans, chief executive of the Bevan Foundation.

The Welsh Government says the scheme will form part of a wider effort to support families with the cost of living and reduce child poverty.

New poverty plan

Ms Williams said ministers would work with partners to develop a new child poverty plan, including targets, benchmarks and milestones.

That is intended to address criticism of the previous Welsh Government, including concerns raised by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales that past anti-poverty work lacked clear measures of success.

The Deputy First Minister said: “This new government has been left with a legacy of stubbornly high levels of child poverty – I am determined to change that.

“We are committed to reducing poverty and improving life chances for children and families with an ambitious new child poverty strategy which reflects what the sector has been asking for – clear targets, benchmarks and milestones.

“Our childcare offer is the most ambitious in the whole of the UK and I’m pleased that work to deliver it in line with our First 100 Days Plan is progressing well, including establishing an Expert Group that will drive the work forward.

“Our priorities set a clear and deliverable course of action that will lead to tangible results across Wales. They are tightly and clearly focused on the pressures people living in Wales face, the support they need, and the kind of nation we want to build together across all parts of Wales.”

Wider priorities

The Deputy First Minister also said work would continue across government to tackle violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Marking Pride Month, she also spoke about the contribution of LGBTQ+ people and said dignity, respect and inclusion would remain central to the government’s approach.

The expert group on childcare will be chaired by the Deputy First Minister. Members include Dr Su Min Lee of London Economics, Dr Lowri Vaughan Brown from the Association of Directors of Education in Wales, Sharon Davies from the Welsh Local Government Association, representatives from Cwlwm including Catrin Edwards of Mudiad Meithrin, and Gemma Halliday from Social Care Wales.

CALLS have been made for an immediate moratorium on industrial-scale solar and windfarm developments in Wales amid concern over the loss of productive farmland.

The Welsh Conservatives say the Welsh Government should pause major renewable energy schemes and urgently review the planning rules for Developments of National Significance.

Party leader Darren Millar MS said Future Wales 2040, the national planning framework, gives too much weight to large-scale renewable energy projects and risks allowing solar farms and windfarms to be built at the expense of food production.

Planning row

The row comes as Wales faces pressure to increase renewable energy generation while also protecting agricultural land, rural landscapes and farming communities.

Under the Developments of National Significance process, major infrastructure projects, including some large renewable energy schemes, are decided by Welsh Ministers rather than local councils.

Supporters say the system is needed to deliver clean energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, while critics argue it can leave communities feeling that decisions are being taken out of their hands.

Mr Millar said: “In opposition, the now First Minister campaigned against industrial-scale renewable developments in his own constituency for fear of the impact it would have on valuable farming land. Now in government, he needs to act accordingly to protect prime agricultural land.

“The current planning framework is fundamentally flawed. Future Wales 2040 creates an assumption in favour of industrial-scale solar farms and windfarm developments across great swathes of rural Wales, putting productive farmland at risk.

“We support renewable energy and recognise its role in achieving energy security and reducing emissions, but those developments should not be at the expense of Wales’ food security.

“Renewable developments should be appropriate in scale and sensitive to their environment, making better use of the roofs of buildings and car parks.

“The Welsh Government should introduce an immediate moratorium on industrial-scale solar and windfarm developments and undertake an urgent review of the planning framework for Developments of National Significance so Wales can take a more balanced approach to Wales’ energy future.”

Climate targets

The Welsh Government says renewable energy is central to meeting Wales’ climate targets and improving energy security, but that projects must go through the planning system before consent is granted.

Supporters of large-scale renewable schemes argue they are needed to cut emissions, reduce reliance on imported energy and help stabilise electricity supplies. Some farmers and landowners also see renewable projects as a source of income at a time when the agricultural sector is under pressure.

However, opponents say the scale and location of some proposals risk damaging landscapes, reducing food-producing land and leaving rural communities with too little say over major developments.