HOPES for a Dinas Powys bypass could finally be over after the Vale council squashed fresh calls for a scheme.

The council has said that it does not consider the controversial bypass to be required, adding that it would not solve traffic issues through Dinas, between Cardiff and Barry, in what could prove the death knell for the idea.

It also said the proposal can't go ahead without significant Welsh Government funding, which they say is currently unavailable.

The long mooted bypass has been the source of heated debate for many years, with strong support for the idea.

But now, in a letter to South Wales Central assembly member Andrew RT Davies, who has campaigned for the project, the Vale council has all but ruled it out for good.

It said: “It would not address the primary issues which cause the congestion i.e. the constraints imposed by the Merrie Harrier and Barons Court junctions.

"Furthermore, the area lies outside any designated residential settlement boundary in open countryside where development proposals would be resisted."

The council also said it is looking to promote sustainable transport and encourage walking and cycling between Barry and Cardiff, via Dinas Powys.

South Wales Central AM, Andrew RT Davies, said he was "disappointed" at the rejection.

He also questioned the decision, particularly, he pointed out, when the council has recently given approval to a large number of housing developments in the area.

"The decision to flat-out reject a bypass for Dinas Powys is a kick in the teeth for hardworking commuters, plenty of whom have to endure chaos on their way to and from work on a near daily basis," he said.

"For the Labour-run Vale council to suggest to people they should simply consider walking or cycling to work is not good enough and sadly demonstrates an administration which is out-of-touch with the feeling of the local community.

"It’s important to recognise the congestion doesn’t just impact those who live in Dinas Powys, it has a far wider reaching impact on commuters from areas such as Barry, Sully and Penarth where there has recently been approval for a number of controversial large-scale housing developments."

Councillor Peter King, cabinet member for building services, highways and transportation at the Vale council, said such a large infrastructure project would require substantial Welsh Government funding.

"As no funding is currently available or likely to become available in the foreseeable future, even if the Vale of Glamorgan Council were to outline plans for a bypass there is little chance that these would ever reach fruition," he added.

"Also, while a by-pass has been long mooted, there is no certainty that such a road scheme would resolve the existing congestion issues in Dinas Powys.

"In fact it is likely that any new road would simply displace traffic at certain points before bringing it together again at the Merrie Harrier junction which would remain just as congested at peak times.

"A more effective method for tackling this issue is the promotion of alternative transport links between Dinas Powys, Barry and Cardiff.

"This is something that the council is working to do by developing public transport links and providing safe walking and cycling routes, and is an approach that we are confident will have a lasting impact on traffic volumes."

But Independent Vale councillor, Chris Williams said residents had been "continually let down" over the issue.

"It is symptomatic of short term thinking," he said. "None of the major Welsh parties have clean hands in this.

"It is a sad state of affairs."

Plaid Cymru councillor Chris Franks said the Conservatives had "totally failed" to indicate how much money they would allocate to this project, when they would start the work and what the exact route would be.

"It’s easy for them to promise but when they ran the council they failed to progress this scheme," he said.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "“It is for the council to decide whether they wish to submit an application for a Dinas Powys bypass based on their own assessment of local need.

"Transport grant funding for highway improvements in this financial year have already been allocated to local authorities and we will make a decision on the level of funding for future years later this year."