Fresh planning discussions begin over £300m rail testing centre in south Wales

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

The process of developing £300m rail track testing facilities are being discussed with Welsh Government planners.

Documents lodged with Planning and Environment Decision Wales (PEDW) show that Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) limited have opened talks with Welsh Government planners on how to take a new planning application that provides more details for the scheme forward.

The development which spans the former Nant Helen opencast site and Onllwyn Washery crosses local authority boundaries with parts within Powys and Neath Port Talbot council areas.

The development has the potential to create hundreds of jobs and could revitalise the economy bringing in an estimated £300 million into the area.

Previous planning applications which secured the principle of being able to develop the former open cast mine had been agreed by both Powys and Neath Porth Talbot council.

But discussion could now see the proposal taken out of local authority planners hands and dealt with as a Significant Infrastructure Project (SIP) by Welsh Government planning inspectors..

SIP is the new term being used by Welsh Government planners which replaces the developments of national significance (DNS) terminology – although all DNS applications in the system will be processed under that legislation.

The “inception meeting note” from a meeting between the parties in June explains what was discussed

The paper said: “The proposal comprises several interconnected elements including rail testing infrastructure, train maintenance and operational facilities, employment land, energy infrastructure, a hotel and a technology park incorporating a data centre.

“The project team stated that a master plan is being developed to bring together the various elements of the proposal and demonstrate how they will operate as a single integrated development.”

The documents explained that Welsh Government backed GCRE want to progress the scheme under the SIP regime because they believe: “that a single comprehensive application would provide greater transparency and assist with coordinated delivery of the overall project.”

GCRE have also confirmed that they will start working on an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the scheme: “towards the end of the 2026 or early 2027.”

The document said: “PEDW emphasised the importance of clearly defining the scope of the project for EIA purposes and the relationship between the different project elements before EIA work progresses.”

Originally it had been expected that the testing facility would be operational by 2025, but the lack of progress seen over the last couple of years had some thinking that the project had hit the buffers.

Outline plans for the scheme being approved by both Powys and Neath Port Talbot Planning committees in 2021.

And in 2024 a further planning application had been approved by both local authorities allowing a further three years for developers to come up with the detailed proposal.