Heather Kidd has tackled Graham Dalton, Chief Executive of the Highways Agency in England over the failure to make progress in upgrading the 483 between Welshpool and Oswestry.
Campaigners for a number of years have been fighting for a by-pass to Llanymynech and Pant. Improvements are also needed between Llynclys Crossroads and Oswestry.
Heather took the opportunity to question Mr Dalton at a meeting organised by the Local Government Association last Thursday on the future of highways in England. The Highways Agency is being turned into a Government owned company.
I am concerned that this change will make working with The Welsh Trunk Road Agency even more difficult and make this lack of progress even worse. Mr Dalton maintains that the new company will be better and give better value for money. If that is the case then the A483 stands a better chance!
He blamed the high ‘turn over in staff’ at the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency as the main reason for the delay – a pretty lame excuse for years of delay! This road is a vital connection for many of us and especially as access to the Orthopaedic Hospital at Gobowen.