THE Welsh Government Minister responsible for Transport, Mr Ken Skates has agreed to visit Chepstow once Monmouthshire County Council has completed its processing of the planning application for 450 houses on the former Fairfield Mabey site next to the River Wye.

This visit is most welcome in view of the pressure on Chepstow infrastructure through this and numerous other actual and proposed developments in Chepstow, Tutshill, Sedbury and areas up to and including Lydney.

It was announced recently that Beachley Barracks is earmarked for closure, releasing potential housing demand estimates for up to 1.000 houses.

Most of this will generate huge vehicle traffic wanting to access the A48 and M48 heading both east and west via Hardwick Hill, already one of the most polluted highways in Wales.

Primary access from Fairfield Mabey – in reality, the only access – will be under the railway next to Chepstow station directly to Hardwick Hill.

The only other vehicular access is via Lower Church Street, with emergency access through the narrow tunnel to Hardwick Avenue in Garden City.

So far, progress on a bypass – ideally from the diving centre near Tidenham via Buttington Tump, Sedbury to cross the River Wye to Thornwell – is a head-in-the-sand approach by all the authorities involved, all looking for someone else to fund it.

It would be helpful for the authorities to take the matter seriously, to recognise the problem, set up a joint committee, and agree to studies, estimates etc so that we know what we are up against, as it could take 10 years and we haven’t got that amount of time.

I might suggest for now, an on-off link to the M48 eastbound from the A48 at Hayes Gate at the bottom of Pwllmeyric Hill to allow access and egress for Caldicot, Portskewett, Shirenewton, Caerwent etc to take the pressure off High Beech roundabout.

That would be most useful.

If you wish to sign a petition for a bypass simply go on line and choose England or Wales – whichever country you live in.

– Alan Braund, Chepstow.