The long campaigned for Llanymynech & Pant bypass is not a priority project at present, says government.
At the January Llanymynech & Pant Parish Council meeting it was reported by Cllr Vince Hunt that the bypass which has been suggested as a way to alleviate traffic issues along the A483 through Pant, was currently not a priority for National Highways, the body that is responsible for strategic highways within England.
Plans for a bypass have existed for decades to move traffic from the main road through Pant to a newly built road that would probably need to be built across fields on the floodplain below the village of Pant, but is unlikely to bypass Llynclys or most of Llanymynech.
Any Llanymynech & Pant bypass would be a National Highways led project with Shropshire Council as a consultative authority.
According to Cllr Richard P Marshall, who is Shropshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways and Regulatory Services, the government has informed National Highways that any new schemes, that have not officially had the funding allocated are not on the priority list at the moment.
Said Cllr Richard P Marshall: “National Highways and Shropshire Council would be keen to see this project come to fruition but as it is not currently funded, it is not on the list of future projects for them.
I have spoken with National Highways and they have stated that they will continue to promote the project as soon as the funding bidding process opens.”
In the past year, Helen Morgan MP has given her support too to a bypass citing congestion and traffic volumes.
While the bypass might not currently be on the cards, local people continue to campaign for improvements to the traffic on the A483. In the past there have been calls for traffic lights at the Llynclys Crossroads and another pedestrian crossing near Bryn Offa School in Pant, both of which could help calm traffic through the village.