M4 Consultation "shambolic"

4 July 2012

04 July 2012

The Welsh Government's consultation on improving traffic flows around Newport has today been described as "shambolic" by a leading environmental group. Friends of the Earth Cymru has submitted its detailed critique of the M4 consultation to the Welsh Government today[1].

Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said:

"The M4 consultation is based on a fallacy that traffic and congestion are ever-increasing on the M4 around Newport. The facts show the complete opposite. Traffic has been on a decreasing trend around Newport since 2004.

"Recently introduced variable speed limits are already reducing congestion, improving traffic flows and reducing accident rates. This consultation is therefore premature and the Welsh Government needs to go back to the drawing board.

"Safety issues raised during the consultation are also very wide of the mark. The data show that the stretch of motorway around Newport is one of the safest in the UK, with one section having six times fewer accidents than the UK average."

Turning to the consultation itself, Gareth said:

"The quality of this consultation is particularly worrying. Some of the graphs would scarcely be robust enough for a geography GCSE project. We have serious concerns over the presentation of data and a number of unsubstantiated and misleading statements. The consultation even appears to contradict itself at different points in the same document.

"The flaws in this shambolic consultation mean it must be withdrawn. Failure to do so would leave the Welsh Government wide open to legal challenge".

NOTES

1. Friends of the Earth Cymru response to the Welsh Government's M4 consultation

For further information, please contact Friends of the Earth Cymru on 029 2022 9577