Pro-growth group launches campaign for a third Menai crossing

A "pro-growth" campaign group has launched a campaign for a third Menai Strait crossing after Welsh Government's roads review halted the project. Britain Remade wants Ministers in Cardiff to reverse the decision as well as restore other roads schemes axed in the review.

The campaign group is led by Sam Richards, a former energy and climate adviser to ex-PM Boris Johnson, and the push to bring back scrapped road schemes in Wales is backed by Ynys Mon Tory MP Virginia Crosbie as well as former Welsh Government Economy Minister Ken Skates.

It has even started a political style leafleting campaign to drum up support from North Wales households. Britain Remade said its campaigns are funded by grants from a range of organisations, that include European Climate Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Quadrature Climate Foundation.

The group claims a new crossing - which could cost over £400m - would slash congestion and emissions, and also support investment on Anglesey[1], including helping secure a new nuclear power station at Wylfa. They say will create thousands of high-quality jobs, while helping to fight climate change by providing clean, secure domestic energy.

Welsh Government says it has not ruled out a new crossing but that even if they supported the project the money is not currently there to fund the £400m scheme.[3]

Every day 42,300 vehicles rely on the two 19th Century bridges linking Anglesey with mainland Wales. The temporary closure last year of the aging Menai Bridge for repairs caused traffic chaos and economic pain for people and businesses in North West Wales. However, plans for a new crossing fell victim to a decision to scrap 55 road building projects on climate grounds.

A poll by Opinium, carried out for Britain Remade, found that cancelling the new road link to Anglesey is opposed by close to half (46%) of people within the region and supported by just a third (33%). The poll also found that half of people across Wales (49%) are opposed to the "ban" on new roads being built, although Welsh Government have stated road building has not been banned in Wales - with future plans including a new highway around congestion hit Llanbedr[4], in Gwynedd[5].

Britain Remade says continuing to deliver new road projects that cut traffic congestion, speed up journey times and increase economic growth can happen at the same time as tackling climate change.

Sam Richards, founder and campaign director of Britain Remade, said: “There's no doubt that we need a third Menai crossing. Local residents know it’s needed, local businesses know it’s needed and even the Welsh Government have admitted it’s needed. But we can’t get spades in the ground while the barmy ban on new road projects in Wales is in place.

Without improved Menai crossings, Anglesey will always be vulnerable, said Rhun ap Iorwerth Campaign to add extra crossing over the Menai Strait

“Speaking with businesses on Ynys Môn, I’ve been struck by how many are being hampered by the lack of a 21st century connection to the mainland. So, today we’re calling on the Welsh Government to drop its ban on new roads, so that Anglesey can flourish.

"If we want to tackle climate change the answer is not banning new roads. All this will achieve is more congestion, higher emissions and longer journey times, while strangling economic growth and job creation in Wales. Instead, we need to build projects like the third Menai crossing, which is essential for making the business case for a new nuclear power station at Wylfa, providing the clean domestic energy that is necessary to help us fight climate change. The governments in Cardiff and London need to stop playing politics, and work together to make the lives of those who rely on the Menai crossing easier.”

Virginia Crosbie, Conservative MP for Ynys Môn, said: "Ynys Môn needs a third crossing to ease congestion on the two now old bridges that have a question mark over their ability to stay open regularly following the lengthy closure of the Menai Suspension Bridge recently. A freeport and new nuclear at Wylfa plus our position as the Energy Isle are going to attract jobs and investment, and the island needs to have the infrastructure in place to make the most of these huge opportunities. A big part of this is to be able to reliably get on and off Anglesey by vehicle.

“I support the campaign by Britain Remade for a third crossing. I will work closely with it to achieve this aim. To the Labour[6] Government in Cardiff, I say this: the decision to halt road building was short-sighted and it is unpopular. Think again for the good of Ynys Môn, for Wales and for the UK."

Ken Skates , former Economy and Transport Minister and Labour MS for Clwyd South, said: “The need for the UK and every other nation to be Net Zero by 2050 is beyond contention. We must do it whilst also solving the problems of a terribly unequal economy, sluggish growth and low productivity.

“If we are willing to be radical, we can lead the race to Net Zero in road construction, whilst also turbocharging the economy and levelling up the UK. Denmark is spending 22bn Euros on new roads, China is predicted to be spending $8 trillion. We should be equally ambitious in investing in infrastructure to address inequality, but with a determination to lead the world in low carbon innovation that reduces embedded carbon.

“Effectively banning road improvements won’t lead to lower emissions, regardless of how virtuous such a declaration appears. In fact, it will worsen emissions in many of the most deprived communities we serve, further poison children who face many other disadvantages and widen the gaps in life expectancy and employment opportunities. We cannot walk away from the problems of environmental injustice and social injustice. We must instead seek to lead in providing solutions to both.”

Ministers in Wales have asked the North Wales Transport Commission - led by Lord Terry Burns - to consider the route as part of a year long review of road, rail, bus and active travel across the whole of North Wales. The commission has published an interim report, with ideas to improve the route but these did not include a third crossing.[7]

Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, who has responsibility for transport, said all options would be considered but he added that the Government did not currently have the £400m needed to pay for a crossing.

He added: "We specifically asked the Transport Commission to look at that (the Menai crossing), options have been floated. We are looking seriously at a third lane 'zipper' option[8] that was raised by Rhun ap Iorwerth. We will consider all the options."

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References

  1. ^ Anglesey (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  2. ^ More people are moving from England to Wales and these are reasons why (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  3. ^ the money is not currently there to fund the £400m scheme. (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  4. ^ with future plans including a new highway around congestion hit Llanbedr (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  5. ^ Gwynedd (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  6. ^ Labour (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  7. ^ with ideas to improve the route but these did not include a third crossing. (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  8. ^ at a third lane 'zipper' option (www.dailypost.co.uk)
  9. ^ Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter (www.dailypost.co.uk)

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