A planned bypass in Gwynedd has been scrapped in the Welsh Government's climate change roads review.
The scheme at Llanbedr got the go-ahead in March 2020 and Gwynedd Council approved the use of CPOs to allow the multi-million-pound scheme – set for completion in 2023 – to go ahead.
But Welsh Government's new Climate Change ministry pressed pause on all road schemes in Wales this June unless spades were already in the ground.
In North Wales this impacted the roundabouts removal scheme at Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, Deeside's Red Route, plans for a third Menai crossing, and the £14m Llanbedr bypass.
The new committee made up of transport and climate change experts has now recommended the Llanbedr bypass is scrapped - with Welsh Government accepting that recommendation.
Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, said: "The Llanbedr Access Road scheme has been taken forward by Gwynedd Council with funding from Welsh Government. As the scheme is at an advanced stage of preparation the panel chair was asked to ‘fast-track’ its review of the Llanbedr scheme.
"I have received and reviewed the chair’s report."
He added: "The chair’s report concludes that the proposed scheme does not align well with new Welsh Government transport and climate policy, and advises that it is not taken forward.
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"I have accepted the chair’s recommendations and Welsh Government will not support any further work on the current Llanbedr Access Road scheme.
"However, I am committed to providing funding for the development and implementation of an alternative package of measures to address the negative impact of traffic in Llanbedr and in other villages on the A496, whilst also encouraging modal shift and reducing CO2 emissions.
"The package can also consider access requirements to the airfield to support associated developments. I have asked my officials to work with Gwynedd Council to commission Transport for Wales to develop an alternative package for consideration, in line with the chair’s recommendations. Any Welsh Government funding for this package will be via the Local Transport Fund and subject to the usual application process."
The review focussed on two questions:
A. Has sufficient consideration been given to non-transport solutions and solutions other than those increasing private car capacity on the road network?
B. Has sufficient consideration been given to whether the road proposal will lead to increased CO2 emissions on the road network, or cause significant impediment to achievement of our decarbonisation targets?
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This review of the Llanbedr scheme also took into account Wales’ Well-being Goals; the new Wales Transport Strategy Llwybr Newydd; Future Wales; Planning Policy Wales; the forthcoming Net Zero Wales low carbon delivery plan; and the current review of the WelTAG transport appraisal process.
The Panel Chair visited Llanbedr to see the location of the road scheme, and met Gwynedd Council, Aerospace Wales, and Welsh Government officials with responsibility for regional development, industrial transformation and transport infrastructure in North Wales.