Bypass hopes on route between Shropshire and Mid Wales hit by funding blow
A bypass on one of the busiest routes between Shropshire and Mid Wales will not be built before 2020, it has been revealed.
No funding will be available for the proposed bypass on the A483 at Llanymynech and Pant to the south of Oswestry for at least another five years, according to Highways England.
The news was broken to villagers and campaigners by Ian Askew, team leader for the West Midlands for Highways England, at a public meeting.
He said no further funding would be available for road projects costing more than £10 million until 2020. No cost has been placed on the proposed Llanymynech and Pant bypass, but a similar scheme planned for Newtown has a £56 million price tag.
Mr Askew said studies on the A483 will form the basis of a feasibility study for stage two of the investment strategy for 2020 to 2025. He said despite the difficulty created by the location of the proposed bypass – half in England and half in Wales – that could actually help move the feasibility studies along.
"I suspect it might make it slightly more deliverable because no-one seems to want to be seen to not co-operate on cross-border issues," he said.
Dilys Gaskill, chairwoman of Llanymynech and Pant Parish Council, said she wasn't surprised by the news.
"We know it's always going to be a long thing but if they're talking to the Welsh Assembly at least that's a start," she said.
Residents have campaigned for a bypass since the 1970s, with a preferred route announced twice before being shelved.
Llanymynech and Pant Bypass Action Group had resurrected the campaign for a bypass three years ago.
