Traffic effects being ignored
I READ with more than a fair amount of interest the article ‘New planning policy claims by councillors are rebutted’ (Post, April 28) regarding claims made by Pontarddulais Town Council over Swansea Council’s failure to comply with its own adopted plan in its determination of planning applications.
The evidence to support this claim is there for everyone to see. You need only refer to chapter 4 of the plan which deals with its implementation and review to see that this is the case. Its purpose is clear in respect of this issue in that it is intended to set out the parameters against which policies should deliver.
In this respect and with regard to the problem of traffic congestion, the plan relies on identified trigger points. Particular clear reference is then made to “no unacceptable increase in key journey times by 2020”.
This is the defining criterion and the binding change introduced by the planning inspectors which is referred to by Pontarddulais Town Council as being ignored by Swansea Council. I am in no doubt that this is indeed the case.
Swansea Council, in its rebuttal, has, it appears, made no attempt to address this issue. Sadly, however, this comes as no surprise to me.
As a resident of Penllergaer, I am more than aware of the impact development in the north-west of Swansea will have on the highway network in this area. I am also aware that our ward representative, Cllr Wendy Fitzgerald, wrote to the head of transport as far back as March 2020 on exactly the same subject.
The reality is that officers within Swansea Council are fully aware of the problems this would cause to its adopted plan.
Officers were probably more than aware that this was an issue way back in 2016 when it produced its traffic study.
This study, despite identifying that the greatest traffic congestion would occur in and around junction 47 of the M4 motorway, avoided plotting any key journey route through this area.
Officers knew this would throw up a key journey route that was already unacceptable.
Delays to key journey routes are the defining factor in any assessment of the impact of development on the highway network.
Officers, I believe, are burying their heads in the sand, with the inevitable consequence being a significant adverse impact in respect of traffic delays, congestion, air quality and noise.
DAVE HARRIS Penllergaer, Swansea