Keri Lewis is a Chartered Environmentalist, with an academic and professional background in Water, Land and Air Quality, working especially through Environmental and Public Health Regulatory regimes. He is also a local Llandeilo based parent and Chairman of the Plaid Cymru Dyffryn Tywi team.
Mr Lewis has been in correspondence with the Welsh Government for many months and has managed to get important information on the public consultation out into the public domain.
Mr Lewis says that the word needs to spread further and contacted Llanelli Online for help. His hope is that in a healthy democracy everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
Speaking about his work to secure a bypass for Llandeilo Mr Lewis said: “At the start of 2017, with Adam Price AM having secured the deal with Welsh Government, both, to commit funding to the delivery of a bypass, and for local residents to be consulted on route options, finally, after a long campaign, and noting the important contributions over that time from many local residents, campaign groups and elected members, this was welcome news.
“Around the same time, following comments from Welsh Government, local residents were anticipating the construction works to commence in 2019 with projected completion of works some 2 years later.”
Back in 2016 the Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:
“This is a scheme we’ve looked at for some time and I’m delighted to announce this funding for it. We now expect to see shovels in the ground by the end of 2019, and anticipate the road being open two years later.
“Alongside our commitment to delivering the major improvements to the M4, A55, A40 and A494 I’m determined to ensure that our infrastructure improvements leave no-one behind. These are projects which will not only make a great deal of difference locally but also nationally, and I’m very much looking forward to getting to work on delivering them.”
Mr Lewis claims that the bypass is a huge issue for the community of Llandeilo. He said: “Having spoken with many local residents and businesses during the 2017 Local and General Elections, and whilst the community voiced its issues and ambitions for the future prosperity and wellbeing of the area, overwhelmingly, the provision of a bypass was the priority for the majority of the local community. Of course, there are local people who have reservations in terms of the potential siting of the bypass and so their voices also matter as the process moves forward.
“So, acting upon the feedback from the doorsteps, and frustrated with the lack of further information, I contacted Welsh Government to seek detailed information, particularly on the public consultation process. Initially, we were informed that this would start in October 2017 but clearly this had slipped further.
“Following further exchanges, the Welsh Government have now released details regarding the stakeholder workshops and the public forum, in particular, to be held on Tuesday 13th February, between 14:00 – 19:00 at Llandeilo Civic Hall. Given its importance to many across the local community, and with such a limited window, it is important that the local word spreads about the public forum event so that local people who are interested in taking part have the opportunity to go along and do so.”
There are a number of documents available to view on the website of Carmarthenshire County Council. We have highlighted the main link here: ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC PROTECTION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE 15TH JANUARY, 2018
