ROADS in the Vale could be gridlocked by 2026 if the Vale council does not change its thinking, a group has said.

Members of the Dinas Powys bypass steering group have said cars could be "bumper to bumper" in just under a decade if the council does not change its mindset in the next seven days.

The plea comes in the week before the examination in public into the council's local development plan is reopened by an indepedent inspector.

The group looked at figures from the Vale council's highway impact assessment study which was done in 2013.

Councillor Andy Robertson, a member of the group, highlighted the Vale’s intent to build 10,000 houses around the Vale including 4,000 at Barry Waterfront and thousands more in Sully, Cosmeston and Dinas Powys.

"That’s 20,000 extra cars on our roads daily, making 40,000 trips a day around the Vale," he added.

He explained how traffic at the Cardiff Road and Murch Road traffic lights will tail back at peak times on Murch Road as far as Murch Crescent or the community centre.

He added that, on Millbrook Road, it will go back bumper to bumper either through the village centre to the Sunnycroft and Southra Park junctions or up Pen y Turnpike to the entrance with Chapters (Ardwyn) which equate to distances of 0.62 miles and 0.83 miles respectively.

traffic

"The figures show the Murch Road traffic lights at nearly 50 per cent over capacity at afternoon peak in 2012 and projects nearly 100 per cent over capacity in both the morning and afternoon peaks by 2026,” explained group member Roger Pattenden.

Welsh Government economy and infrastructure minister Ken Skates' commented in the assembly saying he wanted to find a fully funded issue to the problems.

As a result, a traffic study will be undertaken in Dinas Powys by the council but the group says that this will be based only on ideas within the local development plan.

Another member of the group, Rod Harrod said: "This sounds like a huge waste of public funds because the LDP excludes a by-pass.

"If they are going to restrict all potential solutions in what should be an independent study, it seems to make the whole exercise pointless," he said.

Cllr Robertson,added: "The Vale council still refuse to accept the by-pass is imperative for the economy, social and environmental future of the whole area."

A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesman said the authority appreciates local residents’ concerns about the issue of traffic congestion in Dinas Powys.

"We will shortly begin in partnership with Welsh Government a wide-ranging study of the transport network in Dinas Powys," he said.

"As part of this process there will be consultation with representatives of the local community and opportunities for people to come forward with their ideas, all of which will be considered.

"In terms of the Local Development Plan, an independent inspector will reopen the Examination in Public (EIP) on January 24 to discuss specific matters arising from previous hearings in 2016.

The matters to be discussed at the reopening do not include traffic matters in Dinas Powys as this was discussed on March 23, 2016.

"A final report from the inspector is expected later in 2017."