Council considers new schemes to feature in regional transport plan

Anthony Lewis, local democracy reporter

Walking and cycling routes, bus station upgrades, and new roads and railway links are among the schemes that are set to be put forward to be included in a new regional transport plan.

A report to Rhondda Cynon Taf council’s cabinet on Wednesday, January 22, will seek approval to submit several transport schemes for consideration as part of the South Wales Regional Transport Plan (RTP) that is going out to public consultation in late January or early February.

If approved by cabinet the active travel schemes would include the Rhondda Fawr community cycle route, the Cynon Valley cycle route, Talbot Green to Llanharan to Pencoed, Pontypridd, and surrounding community cycle route links, a new active travel route to Ferndale Community School through Oaklands Business Park, and a new active travel route from Parc Gellifaelog in Tonypandy to Cambrian Industrial Estate.

Rapid transit

The bus schemes would include the northwest corridor from Creigiau to Pontyclun, a Pontypridd to Church Village to Talbot Green to Bridgend bus corridor enhancement scheme, a Pontypridd to Blackwood to Pontypool rapid transit scheme, an Aberdare to Merthyr Tydfil to Ebbw Vale to Abergavenny rapid transit scheme, and bus station upgrades and refurbishments in Aberdare, Tonypandy, Pontypridd, and Talbot Green.

Those schemes labelled “interchanges” include the expansion of sites at Porth, Pontyclun, Llanharan, Treforest, Llwynypia, and Treorchy, a site south of Hirwaun, and a site near Penrhos on the A468.

Under private car schemes the council lists the Llanharan Sustainable Transport Corridor, the Cynon Gateway, the A4119 Castell Mynach junction improvements, strategic transport corridor management on the A4119, A473, A470, A4059, and A465, and the Upper Rhondda Relief Road.

And when it comes to rail the list includes Aberdare to Hirwaun with the reinstatement of passenger services and new rail stations at Llwydcoed, Hirwaun, and the potential to extend to Hirwaun Industrial Estate, a spur to Beddau, a new rail station at Treforest Industrial Estate south of the existing station, and a rail station at Treforest Industrial Estate north of the existing station.

Bidding process

While the duty to produce a regional transport plan sits with the CJCs (Corporate Joint Committees) the duty to deliver it remains with the local authorities so RCT needs to provide a list of transport schemes that will be submitted as part of a bidding process for funding and where successful be incorporated into a Regional Transport Delivery Plan (RTDP)

The report said that a primary driver for taking schemes forward is affordability and deliverability with a time line for delivery within the five-year period of the plan and this has fed into the selection and priority of the proposed list.

It said that RCT has worked with CCR (Cardiff Capital Region) and TfW (Transport for Wales) on the process of developing the RTDP and was now looking to submit a definitive list of schemes for inclusion during January 2025.