"It is the aim of the Council's Welsh Language Scheme to produce all reports bilingually and as this is phased in so will the inclusion of bilingual reports on the internet"

REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORT

TO: AMAN GWENDRAETH AREA COMMITTEE

DATE: 6^TH MARCH 2001

RE: CORPORATE STRATEGY - ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT

AMMANFORD DISTRIBUTOR ROAD - PROGRESS REPORT

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. At Ratification Committee on 27^th November 2000, Members requested a progress report on the funding position with respect to the Morfa-Berwick Link Road and the Burry Port and Ammanford Distributor Roads.

1.2. A progress reort was presented to Ratification Committee on 15^th January 2001 and accepted the following recommendations:-

1.	That Members note the current position with the development of the Morfa-Berwick Link and the Burry Port and Ammanford Distributor roads.
2.	That Ratification Committee agrees in principle to the submission of Objective 1 bids for these schemes at the appropriate time.
3.	That alternative means of funding the Park Street to Pontamman element of the Ammanford Distributor Road are investigated in greater detail.

1.3. Ratification Committee has also resolved that the progress report should be presented to the Llanelli and Aman Gwendraeth Area Committees.

1.4. All three schemes are referred to in the Corporate Strategy and figure prominantly in the County Council's Local Transport Plan for the period 2001 to 2006.

1.5. Each of these three schemes, whilst alleviating local traffic congestion problems, will also provide access to development land and are thus vital to the Council's aspirations to create economic regeneration in these particular areas.

1.6. This report updates Members of this Committee with progress on the development of the Ammanford Distributor Road.

2. THE AMMANFORD DISTRIBUTOR ROAD

2.1. One of the key elements in the Council's proposals for the economic regeneration of Ammanford and the Amman Valley, is the development and improvement of the turnk and principal road network serving the town and its surrounding settlements. The scheme involves the construction of a number of new highway links, by-passing the A483 trunk road and the A474 principal road, so as to alleviate traffic congestion in the town, and to open up opportunities for economic regeneration.

2.2. The proposed distributor road commences at Cooper's Corner on the A483 trunk road and runs to the south of Tycroes and Pantyffynnon before crossing the Afon Llwchwr and Heart of Wales line in quick succession, and continuing along the west bank of the river Amman to connect with Park Street and the A474 at Pontamman. The route from Cooper's Corner to Pontamman is known as the southern link. Consideration is also being given to the construction of a northern link from Pantyffynnon to Llandybie.

Public Consultation

2.3. There have been two local public consultation exercises associated with the Ammanford Distributor Road. The first took place in April l997 into the Park Street to Pontamman Link whilst in May l998 a public consultation exercise was held into the entire Ammanford Distributor Road (i.e. Cooper's Corner to Pontamman and the northern link from Pantyffynnon to Llandybie). There has also been the wider public consultaion exercise associated with the development of the Council's Local Transport Plan.

2.4. In terms of the Park Street to Pontamman Link, 94% of the respondents supported the construction of the link with only 3% of respondents disputing the need for the road.

2.5. In terms of the public consultation into the entire Ammanford Distributor Road, six route options were put forward. From the returned questionnaires, there was a clear preference for the County Council's preferred route option which received almost twice as much support as all the other five routes considered together.

2.6. In terms of the wider public consultation exercise associated with the development of the Council's Local Transport Plan, there is again significant public support for this scheme with around 60% of respondents favouring the inclusion of the scheme in the Plan. When responses were analysed on an area post code basis, this figure increases to 80%, clearly demonstrating that there is a high level of support for this scheme within the Ammanford area.

Statutory Procedures

2.7. Detailed planning permission has been obtained for the Park Street to Pontamman Link whilst a detailed planning application has been submitted for the Cooper's Corner to Park Street link.

2.8. The proposed northern link (i.e. from Pantyffynnon to Llandybie) is currently under investigation following the decision of the Transportation and Engineering Committee on 28^th September 1998, to defer this link pending further investigation. The Director of Operations is due to complete this investigation in the near future.

Funding and Programme

2.9. The overall cost of the Ammanford Distributor Road is estimated to be £14.2 million at today's price levels. However, the scheme can be constructed in discrete elements, with each element bringing increasing benefits in terms of traffic congestion relief and opportunities for economic regeneration.

2.10. Members have decided to give priority to the construction of the southern link, i.e. Cooper's Corner to Pontamman. This southern link consists of the Park Street to Pontamman link and the Cooper's Corner to Park Street link. Members propose to commence implementing the Ammanford Distributor Road by constructing the Park Street to Pontamman link followed by the Cooper's Corner to Park Street link, and subject to the results of the current review, completing the scheme by constructing the northern link from Pantyffynnon to Brynmarlais, near Llandybie.

2.11. The early implementation of this scheme is highly dependent on the Authority receiving Transport Grant from the National Assembly. Last year Local Authorities were not given an opportunity to bid for new design starts because of the number of schemes already accepted for design and waiting to be moved into the construction phase. The National Assembly have annunced that it is increasing expenditure on Transport Grant to £44.3millin in 2001/02 and to £66.3 million in 2003/04. However, the recent trend has been for an increasing proportion of this funding going towards package schemes rather than road schemes. At this point in time it is not clear whether the Authority will be able to submit a bid for Transport Grant for 2002/03.

2.12. In view of these uncertainties, it may be prudent to look at alternative means of funding. As mentioned previoulsy Members have decided that the Park Street to Pontamman link should be the first element to be constructed. Construction of this link will provide traffic relief to the A474 along High Street and the Square in Ammanford, and will open up development opportunities in the area bounded by the new road and the river Amman. This first element of the Ammanford Distributor Road is estimated to cost around £2.7million at today's price levels and because of the job creation opportunities could well qualify for Objective 1 funding. Should such a bid be successful the Council would need to find match funding. In such circumstances other potential funding sources would need to be sought such as the Local Regeneration Fund.

3. RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1. That Members of the Aman Gwendraeth Area Committee note the current position with the development of this urgently required highway infrastructure project.