David Davies seeks Chepstow bypass funding pledge from UK Government

In a letter to Wales Office minister Kevin Foster, Mr Davies said Chepstow’s residents were “getting increasingly frustrated” with congestion and pollution in the town.

The first stage of a report into the viability of a Chepstow bypass cost £33,839 and was paid for by Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire councils, but the report’s costly second stage is estimated to cost around £1.2 million.

MORE NEWS:

• Closure of Pontllanfraith leisure centre back on the cards
• Gwent parents on why it is vital to break the silence about the pain of losing a baby
• Cardiff Half Marathon runner who died named as Nick Beckley

Mr Davies said Monmouthshire council had offered to pay a third of this sum, as had the Welsh Government.

“We therefore need a commitment that the UK Government will do the same,” the Monmouth MP wrote.

The idea of a bypass around Chepstow has been mooted and debated for decades, and recent congestion problems in the town caused in part by gas main works have compounded the frustrations of many people in the area who support the project.

Mr Davies has previously said the town’s traffic problems rivalled cities like Lagos or Mexico City.

In his letter to Mr Foster, he said “residents are unable to predict journey times and in parts of the town, air quality levels are breaching World Health Organization guidelines”.

The Monmouth MP called on the Wales Office to follow up on earlier promises to discuss with Monmouthshire council how the UK government could contribute to the next stage of the bypass report.

Meanwhile, Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay has made fresh calls in the Senedd for progress on the bypass project.

Speaking in the Senedd last week, he said: “The last few weeks have seen, once again, traffic chaos in Chepstow due to a number of roadworks and lane closures."

Mr Ramsay asked Wales' transport minister about the progress of cross-border discussions between the UK and Welsh governments.

In response, Wales' finance minister, Rebecca Evans AM, said “the [transport] minister was advising me that he spoke to the secretary of state of transport just two weeks ago on this particular issue and he’s happy to write to you with an update”.