THE most likely response to traffic jams that for years have plagued drivers trying to cross the River Wye at Chepstow seems to be more buses.

A council report has said there is little prospect of a £75 million by-pass for the connecting Sedbury on English side to Thornwell near the M48 being built.

Monmouthshire Council has said it will no longer fund feasibility studies for a link road and said the onus should be on Gloucestershire County Council as drivers coming from the Forest were more likely to benefit from the bypass.

Gloucestershire’s Cabinet member for transport Cllr Roger Whyborn (LibDemm Benhall and Up Hatherley), said the assumption was that major projects such as the by-pass would be funded nationally.

“Clearly there would be a proportion coming locally and that would be split between Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire,” he said.

“I’m sure there will be benefits for people in Gloucestershire, particularly the Forest of Dean, but people the other side would also benefit if they are trying to get out to the Midlands.”

He added that “nobody sees the bridge being built any time soon due to the costs involved”.

It is hoped to expand Gloucestershire’s on-demand, bookable Robin minibus service into Chepstow.

The lack of a Robin link into Chepstow has previously been criticised because it makes it more difficult for people to get trains and buses further into Wales.

“We are looking at doing a number of things both short term and long term,” he said.

“In the very immediate future one of our main aims would be to extend our Robin service across the bridge into Chepstow.

“We would also hope to do a bit more with the regular buses.

“It is an aspiration to improve cross-town buses in the Forest of Dean which includes going over the bridge into Chepstow.”

Cllr Nick Evans, a Tidenham councillor on the Forest Council said it is “sad to see this report spell out the missed opportunities to work together and properly resolve Chepstow’s transport problems once and for all”.

“The report lays bare the complete lack of ambition from authorities on both sides of the River Wye to take a joined-up approach and provide what residents are crying out for.

“For years, my Conservative colleagues in Chepstow and I have been pressing to get a joint agreement that our congestion problem will only get worse and needs dramatic investment to solve it, rather than sticking plasters.

“This isn’t an argument against public transport improvements in favour of road building, my campaign has always been about the need for both.

“The longer both authorities kick the can down the road, the higher costs will get, and more chances to get agreement from Governments at both ends of the M4 will be missed.

“Significant development like this takes years of concentrated lobbying.

“Until we put an end to the buck-passing and get back to the consensus we had when the first two studies were funded, residents in Chepstow and beyond will continue to suffer.”