DRIVERS have been banned from roads in two Monmouthshire villages following years of complaints that the area is being used as a "rat run".

Monmouthshire County Council is imposing a temporary traffic control order in parts of Clydach and Maesygwartha, banning all traffic except for access.

Building work on the nearby A465 Heads of the Valleys road has led to non-residential traffic pouring into the villages to try and find a short-cut or diversion around the construction area.

County councillor Jane Pratt is Monmouthshire's cabinet member for infrastructure and neighbourhood services, and represents the area's Llanelly Hill ward.

She said: “I’m confident that this legal measure will have the desired effect and satisfy the residents of Clydach and Maesygwartha that they will no longer be inconvenienced by drivers seeking a rat run while work continues on the Heads of the Valleys dual-carriageway scheme.”

The traffic order begins on June 8 and lasts for 18 months or until the A465 project has been completed - whichever is earlier.

Residents will still be able to access their homes in that time, but all other traffic will be banned from the following streets: Church Road, Orchard Close, Cymro Road, Old Abergavenny Road, Main Road, Rhonas Road, Maesygwartha Road, Forge Row, Beaconsfield, and Old Rectory Close.

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The Argus has reported previously on local safety concerns over "rat run" drivers in the area.

The lanes connecting Clydach and its neighbouring villages were described as "lawless" by one Gilwern resident, who feared pedestrians could get hurt.

Residents in Clydach and Maesygwartha have had to contend with cars being damaged, walls being knocked down, and vehicles getting stuck in narrow streets - as car and lorry drivers attempt to find a way of avoiding the construction work on the A465.

Those safety fears have compounded problems for local residents of the Clydach area who have seen several delays to the A465 dual-carriageway project and live in close proximity to the noise, dust, and traffic jams caused by the building work.