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Fears for wildlife after road scheme plan revived

Sarah Easedale
BBC News
Welsh Government An aerial impression of the area where the new road was due to be built and inset, a map showing the red route and blue route optionsWelsh Government
The red route was selected in September 2017 and aimed to relieve congestion

A plan for a controversial road scheme which was scrapped by the Welsh government two years ago is being revived.

The "red route", a new eight mile dual carriageway linking the A55 at Northop, Flintshire with the A494 and A550, was previously identified as the preferred option for relieving cross border congestion, but was one of the major building projects dropped in 2023 over environmental concerns.

Now, a review of the route is part of the proposed Regional Transport Plan for North Wales which looks at ways of boosting the region's economy.

Wildlife campaigners say they are "disappointed" with the revived plan.

The 112 page consultation document by Ambition North Wales considers various forms of transport, including rail, road, bus, walking and cycling.

It highlights the A494/A55 Flintshire corridor as one of its "priority routes" and includes the previously identified "red route" as one of the schemes for a rethink.

But the suggestion the road could once again be considered has "shocked" campaigners who are concerned about the potential effects on wildlife habitats.

Paul Glendell A green, sloping field surrounded by woodland on a bright day. The trees are in full leaf. Paul Glendell
Ancient woodland at Leadbrook Wood, also known as Oakenholt Wood, in Flintshire is in the path of the red route

The North Wales Wildlife Trust said that the original proposal for the road had been deemed "unsustainable, unjustifiable, and damaging" by the Welsh Government's Roads Review Panel and that it was "disappointed" to see it reappear in the new draft plan.

A spokesperson said: "This 13km highway project...would destroy ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and centuries-old hedgerows, while endangering species such as otters, bats, barn owls, and badgers. These irreplaceable wildlife habitats must be protected."

It is now urging people to get behind their campaign to tell Ambition North Wales that the red route is "still the wrong choice".

Getty Images A picture of the Britannia bridge from below showing the Menai Straits with the bridge's steel arches and brick pillars above.Getty Images
A potential third crossing over the Menai Strait should also be reviewed, according to the transport plan

In the consultation document, Ambition North Wales says the aim is to "provide residents and visitors with more travel choices and better digital connectivity, while also reducing our environmental impact."

It is also proposing the case for a third Menai crossing between Anglesey and the mainland should be progressed, an idea that was also shelved two years ago, as well as improvements to the A483 in Wrexham.

The draft North Wales Regional Transport Plan is open for consultation until 14 April.