Last week, I met with residents around Ty Gwyn Lane, Garden Village, to discuss concerns relating to the recent felling of trees along the A483, which passes close to a number of properties.
This meeting followed earlier correspondence my office from residents in relation to the removal of trees along the bypass, which had resulted in increased noise and visual pollution. Significantly, residents also informed me that they had not been notified of the felling of these trees, leaving them frustrated with the lack of consultation and warning.
Following this original correspondence, I wrote to the Minister for Transport at the Welsh Government, Ken Skates MS, to raise these issues. In my letter, I asked for greater transparency and engagement from the Welsh Trunk Roads Agency, the body that manages trunk roads across Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government, to ensure that residents were always aware of any planned work such as tree removal.
Mr Skates responded saying that, “dead, diseased or dying trees were identified along the A483 for removal during the winter period 2020-21” and that “it would not be appropriate to consult on every occasion due to the sheer volume of works that take place alongside the highway network across Wales.”
Following this reply, I organised a meeting with the residents that had brought their concerns to me in order to see first-hand the issues faced, and also to discuss next steps. Due to the increased noise and visual pollution resulting from the felling of these trees, the residents and I are now calling on the Welsh Government to put in place improved screening along the A483, like that along the A55, to give the residents a much needed sound and visual barrier.
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