Llangollen Four Great Highways Threat Increased!

Update: 26-01-2024

As a further update for this recent news about Llangollen's Four Great Highways development (https://www.change.org/p/support-and-fund-railway-links-to-llangollen-and-corwen-to-connect-them-to-ruabon-and-bala/u/32244961), the threat has unfortunately increased even further! Recently whilst browsing on their website (here's the link https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/community-and-living/community-development/levelling-up-fund/four-great-highways/four-great-highways.aspx), the Four Great Highways team say that a contractor has been appointed to complete the project. Work is due to start on 5th February 2024, with the aim of being completed by the end of June 2024. Again, judging the coloured plans for the proposed gardens, stairs, steps, and paths for the riverside walkway and Lower Dee Mill areas, all this is very serious and again it needs countering as much as possible, including counting support of local MPs, to ensure that at least a 6 meter wide strip of land at railway trackbed level immediately along the back of the riverside wall is kept clear through the full length of the Project's footprint to allow for the future reinstatement of a single track mainline railway reinstatement from Llangollen to Ruabon. There also needs to be enough land to build a carriage siding extension of Llangollen Railway, East of the present buffer stops alongside the river as far as the Ponsonby Arms, within the railway's Leased land footprint.

Again, please notify this threat immediately to all relevant MPs and the Welsh Assembly Government to get them to focus on rail re-openings like the Ruabon-Llangollen route, and express your concerns to the Four Great Highways project managers by emailing them at this e-mail address: fourgreathighways@denbighshire.gov.uk

I contacted Mark Isherwood last summer, but he expressed no interest whatsoever. I've tried contacting Sam Rowlands, but got no response from him.

I contacted Simon Baynes, who's a Member of Parliament for Clwyd South (I have attached screenshots of his response to this e-mail). But he said, as this is in regards to transport in Wales, this issue would be best raised with the local representative of the Welsh Government in the Senedd, Ken Skates MS. But Simon will continue to monitor the subject since he supports Llangollen Railway.

I haven't got a response from Ken Skates as of now, but he can be contacted at this e-mail: Ken.Skates@senedd.wales

Another MP worth contacting is Darren Millar. I contacted him last summer and he said he would love to the see more extension to the Llangollen Railway line. He can be contacted at this e-mail: Darren.Millar@senedd.wales 

Contact Daniel Newton to offer to help or to make further enquiries.

daninewton1@live.co.uk (our contact)

Llangollen Four Great Highways Threat Increased!

Remember this update warning I posted on the petition about the Four Great Highways threat on the East side of Llangollen bridge: https://www.change.org/p/mark-drakeford-support-and-fund-mainline-railway-links-to-llangollen-railway-to-connect-it-to-ruabon-and-bala/u/31536729? Although certain design changes have been made, the threat has still increased because while looking at the latest information on the Four Great Highways Project, I noticed that the coloured plans for the proposed gardens, stairs, steps, and paths for the riverside walkway and Lower Dee Mill areas, appear to still totally block the old railway route and make no 'passive provision' for a future railway. More details can be found here in the attached pdf file.

All this is very serious and it needs countering as much as possible, including counting support local MPs, to ensure that at least a 6 meter wide strip of land at railway trackbed level immediately along the back of the riverside wall is kept clear through the full length of the Project's footprint to allow for the future reinstatement of a single track mainline railway reinstatement from Llangollen to Ruabon. There also needs to be enough land to build a carriage siding extension of Llangollen Railway, East of the present buffer stops alongside the river as far as the Ponsonby pub within LR's Leased land footprint.

Recently whilst browsing on the Four Great Highway's website, they say they are now working to consider the responses received before the final designs are agreed for the project.

Please notify this threat immediately to all your MPs and the Welsh Assembly Government to get them to focus on rail re-openings like the Ruabon-Llangollen route, and express your concerns to the Four Great Highways project managers by emailing them at this e-mail address: fourgreathighways@denbighshire.gov.uk

Yours Sincerely,

Daniel Newton

daninewton1@live.co.uk

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/daninewton1%40live.co.uk/FMfcgzGwJckFWlDVHcqJkrXLnGvblhZC?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1