Plaid AM Nerys Evans has welcomed the announcement made by the Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, that speed activated warning signs will be erected on trunk road approaches to the village of Llanddewi Velfrey. 

Earlier this year, Nerys Evans invited the Deputy First Minister to Llanddewi Velfrey to meet with local residents to discuss their concerns regarding the need to widen the pavement running through the village, as well as the need to reduce the speed of vehicles travelling on this extremely busy road.

Nerys Evans said: "This is very welcoming news and hopefully this form of traffic calming will assist in allaying local concerns. 

"Obviously, the Deputy First Minister's officers are continuing to look at the possibility of widening the footway running through the village by acquiring strips of land, but this process obviously takes time as it requires agreement from all landowners. 

"In the meantime, it is extremely important that something is done to reduce the speed that vehicles travel through the village. 

"Following his visit in March, Ieuan Wyn Jones agreed that action must be taken and I commend his positive response to the concerns of local residents.  

"This is an extremely important issue, as was reflected in the number of residents that came to meet with the Minister during the meeting.

"Of course there's more work to be done to improve the situation, but such signs have been proved to have a positive effect in reducing the speed of vehicles passing through the village."

SPEED SIGNS WELCOME BUT THEY DON'T GO FAR ENOUGH, SAYS AM

 

South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns has welcomed the news that Llanddewi Velfrey is getting speed activated warning signs, but says it's not enough to make the village safe.

Mrs. Burns has been campaigning alongside villagers to get the pavement through the community widened and the speed limit dropped.

She helped them to collect a 154 signature petition which she handed in to the Welsh Assembly's Petitions Committee on their behalf.

The Deputy First Minister has said that speed activated warning signs will be put up in the village.

"This is a step in the right direction but it doesn't go far enough," said Mrs. Burns.

"In their petition, the villagers asked for five specific things to make the road safer - speed cameras, flashing lights warning when school children are catching the bus, pavement widening and a reduction in the speed limit to 30mph.

"The Welsh Assembly Government has chosen to ignore all these requests and, I fear, is going for the cheapest option.

"I live nearby and walk down the pavement to the garage and use the junction off the main road every week - it's simply terrifying as the pavement is so narrow and the traffic travels so fast.

"What the community really needs is a by-pass; something that has been promised for so many years.

"The Assembly Government says in its response to the petition that they won't pursue potentially lengthy compulsory purchase orders of gardens to widen the pavement because 'within a very few years a new trunk road could be in place'.

"However, they told us in December last year that a by-pass won't be on the books until at least 2014 and given their previous record on broken pledges, I for one won't be holding my breath.

"That is simply too long for people to live with such a dangerous road."