This month ideas on the new Cardiff airport access road were published in a series of exhibitions and by leaflet drops to residents of the Vale of Glamorgan. The access road is long overdue and attempts to expand the airport have faltered because of the limitations of the existing road to the airport from the motorway network.

Three ‘corridors’ are among the proposals:

Corridor A - runs along existing roads from junction 33 of the M4, by-passes ‘Culverhouse Cross’ and continues down through Wenvoe along Port Road. Improvements to the existing roads are proposed in places with further by-passes at Wenvoe and north of Barry but this option still relies upon the existing roundabout at the top of the Docks Link Road.

Corridor B - again runs from junction 33 of the M4, uses the existing Culverhouse Cross roundabout, follows the A48 with options to by-pass St.Nicholas then approaches the airport along the five mile lane with further options to re-route traffic away from Weycock Cross.

Corridor C - Is virtually a new road from junction 34, running through the Pendoylan area but by-passing the village, crossing over the A48 along a stretch of the five mile lane with options to link either to Weycock Cross roundabout or the roundabout at Penmark.

More detailed information can be found on the National Assembly website

As with all new road schemes there will be controversial decisions and land will be compulsorily acquired. Where there is no doubt is the need for this new access. The existing road network is struggling to cope with local traffic especially at Culverhouse Cross. There are too many roundabouts through Wenvoe and Barry, four schools are currently sited along Port Road and Tesco in Barry has a major impact on traffic.

Coupled with increasing commuter traffic between the Vale and Cardiff and the new development at St.Athan projected levels of traffic are set to increase. The airport needs its own dedicated link to the the Motorway network if it is to compete against Bristol, Birmingham and attract more international flights away from London and the South east.

People complain that flight supplements from Cardiff force up the cost of holidays. With increased traffic at the airport, operational costs decrease relatively per aircraft which means lower airport charges per aircraft.

An expanding Cardiff International Airport will be a further boost for the South Wales economy. It will create jobs and opportunities for local businesses and will bring in much needed revenue from abroad by improving linkages with other European capital cities. It will be for business as well as for holidays and will offer greater choice and flexibility for travelers.

I feel that the best option from the proposals presented so far would be Corridor C.

Yes I know it runs through some expensive agricultural land and some wealthy land owners will be affected. But junction 34 is not as busy as junction 33, it offers a direct link with only the village of Pendoylan marginally affected and Barry will benefit from a diverting traffic away from Port Road.

There is still the issue of improved public transport to consider. There are no real direct road links from Cardiff City Centre to the airport along which frequent and express bus services can run. The existing railway offers the most direct route, however a more convenient link is required between the terminal building and the existing Rhoose Station.

This is a debate that will run on for quite a while and I have only touched on the tip of the iceberg. I am in favour of the airport expanding, even though I live along the flight path. Others I fear may not be so enthusiastic. I encourage anyone in receipt of the National Assembly’s questionnaire to fill it in and make their views known.

What do you think?

Current talk of the proposed Severn Barrage project is focusing on the benefits of ‘clean’ electricity generation but ignores the cost. There are two specific costs that come to mind, the obvious building cost and the environmental cost.

As a member of the team that built the Cardiff Bay Barrage I know a bit about barrages. That barrage was built for cosmetic purposes only: to improve the visual and economic value of the land surrounding the lake. The cost estimated to be £50 million was more like £200 million with an annual running cost of £9 million. However, the results speak for themselves, 3000 new homes all paying council tax, new businesses established, private sector investment of at least 10:1, land values increased, tourism and the revenues it generates an world recognised waterfront. In fact it took just one inward investment project to offset the cost of the barrage when NEG/Schott built a glass factory on Ocean Way the private sector investment for that project alone was £200 million.

In my opinion the Severn Barrage is a huge folly. Why undertake such a massive and expensive engineering project when the only perceived benefits are clean electricity and a new road.There are more intuitive, cheaper and less environmentally damaging ways to generate electricity from the huge potential of tidal power that the Severn Estuary provides.

Morgan Parry from WWF Cymru said “We strongly recommend that more suitable technologies are deployed to capture the energy of the Severn estuary, such as stand-alone tidal generators, tidal fences and further research into tidal lagoons.“

My ideal solution would be offshore wind turbines which have another turbine under the water driven by the movement of the tides, two for the price of one.

From an environmental point of view this solution doesn’t flood important wetlands and bird feeding grounds, doesn’t require tons of concrete, the production of which generates 1 ton of CO2 per ton of cement used as a raw material and doesn’t involve huge construction facilities and the disruption to local communities such as Lavernock.

Whats your opinion?

It has just been announced that there will be FREE swimming at least for the over 60’s in England by the time the 2012 Olympics start in London.

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Recent news suggests a downturn in the fortunes of the licenced trade resulting in a record number of pubs having to close. This trend is even more dramatic in urban areas.

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It was great to see the beach at Barry Island making an appearance on the Welsh News and in the press this week. Crowds of people have been flocking to the town enjoy the beaches and Porthkerry Park in this early summer sunshine.

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