PLANS are in process for a cycle path to be made, which will cut through Dafen Cricket and Football club and along to Prince Phillip Hospital. The plans also include an extension, which would take in Bryngwyn School thus providing the children a safer route to school. It is hoped that the new path will encourage local people to use the path.
There have been concerns regarding problems of parking at the hospital with congestion leading to problems for ambulances trying to find a place to park.
It is believed that the building of a new cycle path through Dafen to the hospital would help in encouraging people to cycle or walk to the hospital.
Nia Griffith MP and Lee Waters AM were at Dafen park along with Councillor Tegwen Devichand and Cllr Sharen Davies on Friday (Jan 19) to hear from the Chair of the Carmarthenshire Cycle Forum Phil Snaith.
he said: “Carmarthenshire Cycle Forum’s principal campaign is for a cycle network across Llanelli entitled “Give us 5miles” and they argue that one of the easiest but also most effective links is from Dafen/Halfway to Prince Philip Hospital and Bryngwyn school.
“Going through Dafen Park the scheme would only need a new 150m long pathway to meet the grounds of Prince Philip Hospital. The Forum has met all the relevant partners and received support from County Councillors , Lee waters AM and Nia Griffith MP.
“The County Council agree that this is potentially an effective boost for walking and cycling and help reduce parking congestion at the Hospital and have made funding available until March. The final approval now lies with Hywel Dda Health Board who have insisted on a Risk Assessment before going through approval “processes.@
It is very much hoped that these processes will not raise too many issues or delay the decision given the tight timescale. Chair of the Cycle Forum, Phil Snaith, pointed out that “this initiative offers the Health Board a partial solution to their parking problems by offering some of their staff a safe and convenient way in which to walk or cycle to work. This scheme should be an absolute “no brainer” given that they are committed to a more sustainable future and as a public body are signed up to the Active Travel Act. Our next steps is to get the County Council design teams to work up drawings and move this forward as quickly as possible”.
Lee Waters AM said: “Everyone is a winner’ if the plans go through.”
Owners of Dafen park have given it the green light, with the plans set to be designed by March 2018.
