Pencoed Road and Rail Capacity

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:30 pm on 29 January 2019.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 1:30, 29 January 2019

I thank the First Minister for that answer, and could I, through him, just convey my thanks to the Minister for Economy and Transport? He has been endlessly lobbied by me, and I've brought delegations of the council leader, town councillors from Pencoed town council and others, and he's engaged very constructively, I have to say, with us. 

The two sides of this town are separated now by a level crossing that can be shut in peak times for up to 40 minutes in an hour and a narrow Victorian road bridge that allows only for one-way traffic determined by a three-way traffic light system. This can lead to utter gridlock in the town, immense frustration for residents and businesses, air pollution and congestion, and a dead hand on housing and wider economic development. It's also notorious, by the way—the level crossing—for its accidents and its close shaves with pedestrians and traffic, and, of course, the stretch is unfortunately also infamous for fatalities through suicide. 

So, the recently announced £60,000 grant from the Welsh Government transport grant to take forward a feasibility study into resolving these issues is an important step forward, and we truly thank the Welsh Government for this. First Minister, we've spent several years to get to a point where we now have all the right players at the table: Network Rail, Bridgend County Borough Council, Pencoed town council, local councillors, a Member of Parliament, and even an observer present—[Interruption.]