UK Department for Transport refuses to rule out overruling Welsh Gov on M4 relief road
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has refused to rule out overruling the Welsh Government on constructing an M4 relief road.
The UK Government department suggested that it could overturn the decision of Welsh ministers to scrap the plan for the 14-mile motorway near Newport following the rebranding of England’s strategic roads operator as ‘National Highways’.
Fears have been raised that it could use the Internal Market Act, which Mark Drakeford has described as a “power grab” to push the £1.6bn scheme through without the consent of the Senedd.
When the DfT was asked by Highways magazine if it would rule out such a move, it refused to do so.
It said while transport is a devolved matter in Wales, the Department for Transport (DfT) said that it may use the Union Connectivity Review under Sir Peter Hendy to address congestion on the motorway.
A spokesperson for the Dft told Highways: “While decisions about the M4 around Newport remain a devolved matter, we are keen to work closely with the Welsh Government to help ease congestion problems in areas vital for people and businesses.
“The Union Connectivity Review, led by Sir Peter Hendy CBE, will provide recommendations on how to take this work forward.”
The DfT said recommendations from the review will be published “in the near future”.
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More colonialism from Westminster towards Wales 😡. The UK Department for Transport making the case for welsh indy for us
There were years of consultation on this and the final decision by majority feeling locally and by Senedd was to drop the M4 project. Instead the plan has already begun to powerfully develop public transport so the region has rapid transit by train and coach between Bristol and Swansea. But lots of extra stations and stops for commuters and other local needs. This would create a lot of employment, improve local journeys as well as through traffic, and solve the M4 bottleneck without destroying natural habitats, raising health risks by dirty air (already a problem). But Tory chums stand to… Read more »
As someone who is regularly stuck in the traffic. Any relief road is a very welcome idea. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to use public transport
But not at the expense of the Gwent Levels.
And no doubt they will steal the money from the Welsh government to pay for it.
You can rest assured they will avoid paying the bill. If it ever goes ahead it will be a charge on the Welsh account.
Plaid, Gwlad, Labour and others. Surely it’s time for a united front and turn Yes Cymru into an Independence Party?
These people have no moral authority here.
The devolved governments have the powers to do anything Wetminster agrees with, but nothing else.
More pollution for the enviroment to cope with more illnesses caused by air pollution but hey as long as prople are not inconcenienced hey
If Westminster ignores the democratic will of the Welsh people they will turn even more people into supporting the cause of independence and getting our freedom from Bozo Johnson’s tyrannical mob who’s only aim is to keep us under their thumb.
I understand the feelings of people stuck in the bottleneck around Newport, I’ve been there myself, but destroying the Gwent Levels is not the answer. If the UK government goes ahead with it – we’ll be independent within 10, even 5 years. Sh*t on us, we’re gone.
Happy days, with the Irish gone, Scots gone, and the Welsh gone, the English tax payer can stop subsidising the rest of you lot. For example why is it for prescriptions in England we have to pay £9.53 per item and yet prescriptions are free everywhere else in the UK, parking in NHS hospitals is free in other parts of the UK and yet in England we have to pay to park. I have no issues with the Welsh, my partner is one, however us English would be so better off if you lot went independent. You always hear about… Read more »