‘Listen to the public’ calls over changes to city-centre junction

Nicholas Thomas Local Democracy Reporter

The public’s views will reportedly be “at the heart of” any decisions around changes to traffic flow in central Newport.

Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s transport secretary, said decision-makers are “listening to the public” and will consider residents’ views when setting out plans for projects such as the reconfiguration of Old Green Roundabout.

The city centre roundabout could revert to a traffic-light controlled junction if current proposals, led by Transport for Wales, go ahead.

Concern

But Conservative regional Senedd Member Natasha Asghar said there is a “great deal of concern” about the plans.

Speaking in the Senedd on Wednesday June 4, she claimed the proposed changes to Old Green Roundabout “will cause major motoring mayhem in and around the city centre” and “further hamper” Newport’s businesses.

“There’s also genuine concern that the whole process has been, indeed, a stitch-up, given the public consultation – and I use that phrase rather loosely – because residents do feel that the option to say that they didn’t want to have any change whatsoever did not, indeed, take place,” Ms Asghar said.

Noting a petition against the changes had drawn 1,200 signatures, the Conservative MS told Mr Skates: “Old Green Roundabout works as it is and is deemed to be doing a good enough job, so, if it’s not broken, why fix it?”

In response, the transport secretary said he wished to “assure [Ms Asghar] that we’re working very closely with the region’s local authorities to improve traffic flow, and that means improving Old Green Roundabout if it is deemed to be necessary”.

“We’re listening to the public and we’ll ensure that the public’s views are at the heart of any decisions that are made,” he added.

Transport for Wales published a report on the public consultation in March, finding mixed levels of support for the project, which also includes redeveloping the front of Newport’s railway station into an “interchange” for buses.

“Traffic chaos”

Among decision-makers, the mood is more upbeat, with a council cabinet member saying at the time the project “will make it easier for people to get around Newport”.

A senior Transport for Wales officer also said the project has the potential to “significantly improve travel in Newport by providing better links between rail and bus and better routes for walking, wheeling and cycling”.

Yet the proposed change to Old Green Roundabout continues to prove controversial.

In the wake of Mr Skates’ comments, Michael Enea, a Conservative campaigner who set up the online petition, said any money put into the reconfiguration of the junction could be better spent elsewhere.

“The Welsh Government needs to listen to the public,” he said. “There are very warranted concerns that a three- or four-way traffic light system could trigger traffic chaos going into the city centre.”

He added: “They seem hellbent on blowing up to £40m on a project that isn’t needed, while Newport’s city centre is crying out for investment to upgrade Commercial Street and the High Street.”

Transport for Wales will reportedly carry out more engagement work with various stakeholders, and aim to secure funding, before it releases further information about the design and timescale for the project.