Council still hopeful of A469 funding deal but is willing to go it alone

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

Senior councillors are still hopeful government funding can help pay for a £20 million road repair project.

Cabinet members have agreed to start the paperwork on a compulsory purchase order for the land alongside the A469, but would prefer to negotiate a deal.

The road at Troedrhiwfuwch has been plagued by landslip issues since 2014, and real-time monitoring shows the ground is still moving slightly following recent bad weather.

Caerphilly council leader Jamie Pritchard said he was in “constant dialogue” with the Welsh Government over a potential funding deal, and would continue to push for support following May’s Senedd elections, regardless of the outcome.

The council will be able to fund the project itself but would rely on borrowing for around half of the costs, under a deal agreed in January.

The total estimated spending will include around £340,000 to buy the land either side of the road – and the cabinet’s latest decision means the council will start the ball rolling on a compulsory purchase process, in case negotiations with the landowners fail.

Cllr Pritchard made the A469 repairs his top priority when he became leader late last year, and said the council had “taken the bull by the horns” by not waiting for outside support.

“The residents of the Upper Rhymney Valley have been waiting too long – we’ve admitted that,” he said. “We need to sort this out, but clearly we would be assisted by any form of external funding from the Welsh Government or anyone.”

Senior project manager Kate Dowdall said the local authority is “well aware of the urgency of the scheme”, and detailed drawings of the improvements have now been produced.

She said the council is preparing a temporary closure of the A469 this Sunday for “remedial” measures to the road surface, including potholes.

Real-time monitoring of the site has shown “there is still movement in the road – hence some of the repairs”, added infrastructure director Clive Campbell.

“It’s the recent inclement weather that has triggered some of that movement,” he explained. “It’s very small but it’s still moving. That’s why it’s a priority for us to deliver the full scheme.”

The construction phase of the project, once it begins, is expected to last around two years and will involve road closures and diversion routes.

Cllr Pritchard said residents of the Upper Rhymney Valley would “want to see action being taken as quickly as possible, but I hope that over the last few months we’ve shown we are moving as fast as possible… to make sure this road gets done”.