Wales Transport Strategy consultation

We need your help - please respond to the consultation

The Wales Transport Strategy (WTS) is the Welsh Government's strategic plan for all forms of transport, from now until 2040. It provides the strategic framework for what types of transport projects will be approved and funded, and how these decisions will be made. It's much greener than the previous strategy and says all the right things about sustainability and we support its aims.

However, we are dismayed that it doesn't refer to the Red Route at all. It seems that the Transport Minister, Ken Skates, wants the Red Route to progress so fast that by the time the WTS is adopted it'll be too late for it to be considered as part of the WTS process. So that would mean that Wales’ largest and most damaging road scheme would be being built at the same time as the WTS is being formulated and adopted with its strong sustainability approach deliberately not being applied to the Red Route.

Please help us change this illogical situation. If enough of us lobby for the Red Route to be considered by the WTS, there's a good chance that this damaging road scheme could be stopped. 

How to respond

Submit your comments by 25 January 2021 using one of the two methods shown below (via email or via the consultation portal). We have written a suggested response below that you can copy and paste into your response - feel free to amend this as you see fit.

Suggested response:

I object to the fact that there is no commitment in the draft Wales Transport Strategy 'Y Llwybr Newydd' to ensure that all proposed road schemes where physical construction has not started (especially the A55/A494/A548 Deeside Corridor Improvement 'Red Route' Scheme) are paused so that they can be reassessed, taking into account:

1. The commendable aims, objectives and outcomes of the draft Wales Transport Strategy itself, which establishes a strong presumption against new road building

2. The most up to date version of the Welsh Government's transport appraisal tool WelTAG, and

3. The Senedd’s Economy Infrastructure and Skills Committee, which has still to conclude its inquiry into remote working in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated Welsh Government's stated aim for 30% of the Welsh workforce to work remotely in future.

If this does not happen the Wales Transport Strategy would be fundamentally flawed and not fit for purpose because the Welsh Government's environmentally damaging new 13 kilometre dual carriageway 'Red Route' would undermine all of the Welsh Government's strategic priorities and outcomes, as set out in the draft Wales Transport Strategy.

Please email your response directly to WalesTransportStrategy2@gov.wales and copy in Ken Skates (Minister for Economy and Transport) Correspondence.Ken.Skates@gov.wales and Mark Drakeford (First Minister of Wales) Correspondence.Mark.Drakeford@gov.wales

You can also respond fully to the Wales Transport Strategy (Llwybr Newydd: a new Wales transport strategy) and add the comments above using the Welsh Government consultation portal: https://gov.wales/llwybr-newydd

Please support and share our campaign to Stop the Red route