Bypass a ‘priority’ for council

Anthony Lewis Local Democracy Reporter

The Llanharan bypass is a “priority” for RCT council with the leader saying he’s confident work will start in earnest once it gets planning permission and a contractor is appointed.

Councillor Andrew Morgan was responding to a question from Brynna and Llanharan councillor Janine Turner at Rhondda Cynon Taf full council on Wednesday, June 25.

She said that the statement earlier this year that the Llanharan Sustainable Transport Corridor had been given the go-ahead following a redesign was very welcome news.

She asked the leader for update on the progress made since then and to outline some of the key steps for the scheme to be delivered.

Cllr Morgan said the scheme was a priority for the council and that there had been a lot of work going on in the background to take it forward.

The council has allocated £5.05m in the capital programme towards the project.

He said the scheme had been “redefined” in terms of embedding sustainable transport policies while still seeking to take the bulk of the traffic out of Llanharan.

The scheme was delayed because of the roads review by Welsh Government but the council has now had the green light to take it forward.

Redesign

The council is working on a funding package but the next key stage is that the pre-planning application consultation is expected to start during September and October.

All the consultation documents will be made available online and in person at Llantrisant Leisure Centre from September 19 to October 17 with consultation days to be organised in Llanharan itself in October.

Cllr Morgan said the road scheme is very much in line with what they previously looked at in terms of the corridor and it doesn’t deviate much from that but has just been redesigned in terms of things like landscaping and drainage.

Junctions

He said “what that does mean is that we substantially reduce in-built carbon” which will be close to 20,000 tonnes and the ancient woodland has been protected.

They’ve also looked at junctions and making sure there’s a good flow of buses and that they don’t get caught up in traffic.

“There’s an awful lot of small changes but the primary thing is the scheme is going ahead as far as we’re concerned. We will need to get planning permission.

“We are in conversation with Welsh Government. We are committed to this in terms of using some CIL (community infrastructure levy) funding from the housing development down there and committing our own funds.”

He also said they’d secured some further money around the active travel element.

Cllr Morgan said that once they do get planning and appoint a contractor “I am confident the scheme will start in earnest”.