Monmouthshire council demands Severn Bridge solutions

Monmouthshire County Council has called for action to allow large lorries to cross the first Severn Bridge as soon as possible. 

Heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will no longer be able to cross the bridge from the end of this month and drivers will instead face a 14 mile detour to the Prince of Wales M4 bridge. 

National Highways, the UK Government agency responsible for both bridges, has said it intends to allow managed crossings in some 12 to 18 months time, but needs to prepare a system for controlling lorries waiting to cross, procuring equipment and installing it. 

A longer term solution to fully reopen the 60-year-old suspension bridge to all traffic could take at least five years. 

Monmouthshire County Council unanimously passed a motion, proposed by Portskewett Conservative councillor Lisa Dymock, calling for the Welsh and UK Governments to work “at pace” on allowing controlled HGV crossings “as soon as possible”. 

The motion also called on the council itself, and the Welsh Government, to “urgently assess” current and projected traffic impacts at Junction 23A, on the M4, at Magor as a result of the weight restriction and bring forward plans to improve the junction. 

An amendment by Labour councillor for Magor East with Undy, John Crook, that improvements should include a new link road to the M48 from Rogiet, which has been a long term ambition of the council, was also accepted. 

Councillor Dymock said she was concerned about the impact on hauliers who she said operate on tight margins, as well as other firms, including the manufacturer she works for based at the Severn Bridge Industrial Estate. 

Labour’s Bulwark and Thornwell councillor Armand Watts, whose ward is at the foot of the bridge and includes the New House Farm Industrial Estate where supermarket Asda has a distribution centre, said he fears fall out from the restriction.  

National Highways has said it has conducted an extensive engagement including with haulage and logistics firms , with some 3,200 lorries crossing the bridge daily, but Cllr Watts said he thinks planning has been poor ahead of the restriction coming into force on May 27. 

He said: “I really am worried about the 27th I think it’s going to be a disaster there’s no planning I think it’s going to be chaotic.” 

He also said he was concerned how the restriction would impact Chepstow Racecourse. 

Magor West independent memberFrances Taylor warned councillors requesting the Welsh Government support a new junction or road would be a long process and said she thought she was the only councillor who opposed removal of the Severn Bridge tolls, which has led to a 34 per cent increase in traffic crossing the bridges. She said a reduced toll could have been used for maintenance and improving public transport. 

Councillor Paul Griffiths, who represents Chepstow and is the Labour cabinet member for the economy, said lorries heading for the town, Portskewett and the Forest of Dean will now be expected to u-turn at Junction 23A. 

He said space will be needed to stack or hold lorries either side of the bridge to implent the medium term solution of managed crossings but said impacted firms want to see that done quickly, in three months, rather than waiting 12 to 18 months. He said the council is meeting with Welsh transport secretary Ken Skates and Monmouth MP Catherine Fookes is due to meet with a UK minister.