On Wednesday, a council scrutiny committee poured over Bridgend Council’s strategic transport priorities for the next few years (pdf). You can watch the meeting here.
A more detailed summary of the transport priorities is available below:
At this week's Cabinet meeting, members will be updated on Bridgend Council's long-term strategic transport schemes (pdf). The schemes would...
Road, Rail, Bus & Bike: Bridgend Council sets out its transport priorities
Here are some of the key points raised in the meeting itself.
Brackla Station & future of Singletons junction
Cllr. John Spanswick (Lab, Brackla) welcomed the high priority given to Brackla station and its next phase – a pedestrian and cycle footbridge – as it’s long-delayed. Related to this, he didn’t understand why Section 106 money earmarked for improvements to the Singletons junction was spent on a station car park at Erw Hir.
Cllr. Gareth Howells (Lab, Caerau) cited Network Rail’s opposition and stalling due to capacity issues, with delays to a passing loop at Tondu (which directly impacts plans for a station at Brackla). He thought this strengthened the argument for the devolution of rail infrastructure as Wales will never be a priority at the UK level. He also made the case for a bus-rail interchange at Tondu station.
Officers told the committee that the biggest problem around the Singleton junction is the cost. The Section 106 money (£380,000) was nowhere near enough to provide a lasting solution. Officers did confirm that the junction is being looked at as part of an active travel scheme (saying they would discuss this outside the meeting).
Bus-rail interchanges and the role of rail stations along the Llynfi valley line would also be considered as part of a proposed enhancement scheme, though some projects need to be “pushed up the political agenda” in the Welsh Government.
Pyle & Porthcawl bus & rail schemes
Cllr. Norah Clarke (Ind, Nottage) wondered why the Porthcawl bus station will be delivered before the Pyle park & ride – which it was supposed to link to?
Councillors were told that while the original plans were to link Porthcawl and the proposed Pyle park and ride, the new bus station will enhance services between Bridgend and Porthcawl as part of the Metro – which will be as much about buses as rail. The Pyle project was postponed as it wouldn’t deliver the desired number of parking spaces.
It’s unclear when the Pyle project will go ahead as it’ll need to go through another round of funding bids.
A planning officer added that current proposals for the existing bus shelters/bus station on South Road include it either being used as extra on-street parking or a bus layby.
Optimism over Penprysg Road bridge & Pencoed level crossing project
Cllr. Julia Williams (Ind, Hendre) asked for an update on the bid for funding for the Pencoed bridge project. There was always a risk that projects like this will never see the light of day if deemed to be a low priority. Also, would the moratorium on development west of the railway in Pencoed remain in place if the project goes ahead?
Cllr. Matthew Voisey (Con, Oldcastle) voiced his support for the project, deeming it probably the most important – strategically and economically – of the whole list.
The committee was told BCBC was holding monthly meetings with the team in Wales responsible for the “Levelling Up Fund” bids. The early signs are positive as the project is considered to be of regional importance due to the railway.
Detailed information is expected to be submitted by June 2022, though full design work will take longer. BCBC take all of this to be an “indication of support” for the project.
As for the moratorium, it was explained that this affects small developments and wasn’t just about volume housebuilders. Applications for business conversions have had to be turned down due to traffic generation, while converting a single property into two flats would be turned down too. Whether the moratorium remains in place after the bridge works depends on future evidence about its impact.
Buses in the valleys
Cllr. Rod Shaw (Ind, Pontycymer) noted the plans for bus improvements in the Garw and Ogwr valleys. Given that there was only one road in and out of each, there were few places to put in bus priority measures. At best there’s a half-hourly bus service but people relying on public transport in the two valleys are often disadvantaged by the timetable.
Officers are aware of the highway constraints in the valleys, but even short stretches of bus priority measures can lead to improvements. This particular project is as much a regional one as a Bridgend-focused one, so the council will look to the Cardiff City Region for additional support.
