11th July 2017
Today I attended the Llanelli Traffic Management Working Group meeting and, as promised during the election, I raised the issue of congestion and pollution in Llanelli.
Since the pedestrianisation of Bridge Street, pollution and traffic congestion have significantly worsened in Llanelli Town Centre, particularly along Felinfoel Road and the surrounding streets.
Originally, I had discussed with the County Council the possibility of implementing a roundabout on the junction of Gelli-Onn and Thomas Street. The officer agreed that this would be an elegant, albeit expensive option. However, it has since been made clear that the only way to achieve this would involve taking land away from the grounds of the parish church which is in a conservation area. Therefore, this is no longer a possible route of investigation.
However, today’s meeting was a positive one with a focus on how we move forward and what can be done. The County Council have drafted an action plan to tackle pollution and have circulated the plan to County Councillors with an intention to consult the public within the next couple of weeks. I look forward to reviewing the action plan and hope that this can be the catalyst for the change we need in Llanelli to help us solve our pollution and traffic problems. It has also been brought to my attention that a research project is being undertaken by Swansea University in conjunction with Hywel Dda Health Board, centred on Llanelli to look at NO2 and particulate matter (pollution).
It is increasingly clear that there is no ‘silver bullet’ and for now, we will have to wait to see the results of these various research programmes and consultations and the answers they may have for us.