Carole from Newtown sent us the following piece of information on 30 September 2009.
Carole:"Yes the plans were at the Mony Club for 22 hours but they are also at Newtown Library until the closing date for questionaires 24 Nov 2009...70 days in total.
John from Manafon raised the following issue in September 2009:
John:"We have a business on the Vastre industrial Estate. Although we live in a village outside Newtown, the access to the Kerry Road across the MacDonalds Roundabout is a nightmare mainly due to inconsiderate drivers blocking access and exits on the roundabout. The current cause is Tescos whose plans were available and much talked about for ages. My question is why have we only been given 22 hours to get to view the plans? Tescos plans were available for ages in the town library."
Reynell Morris made the following points in June 2009:
Reynell:"As a former resident of Newtown I still come back on a regular basis and the traffic situation has got worse over the past few years.The main problem has been the lack of inward investment over the years by successive governments.There has been no definitive move by anyone regarding the road networks from the U.K.motorways into Central Wales and on to the Cardigan coast. Everything has been directed to either the North Wales coast roads to Anglesey and to the M4 corridor via the South wales coast on to Pembroke.Why has no one stood up for the needs of Mid Wales? Why is this debate still going on when the bypass was being talked about 50 years ago.
It is time for the Welsh Assembly to put the lack of seriousness in the development of Mid Wales right and invest in the future.Incidentally why do all the post codes in Mid Wales have to be English.i.e. based on Shrewsbury. I do not think Cardiff would like its post code based on an English one, get it right!"
Stuart from Newtown joined the debate in April 2009:
Stuart:"If you look at places like Shrewsbury and Welshpool these places are thriving because they have ring roads and bypasses. A bypass will bring more trade to the town as more companies will think its easier to get the deliveries in and out of the town area. If tesco comes in and the bypass doesnt come to be then thats another few lorries on our road a day. The powers that be should of built the by pass years ago before all the factories and housing was built and we wouldnt be having the discussion."
Waylon from Cardiff looks back over the last ten years of traffic in Newtown:
Waylon: "I moved out of newtown almost 10 years ago but regularly visit family. When I lived there traffic on the Llanidloes road was bordering on awful, now 10 years later its bordering on insane.
Newtown really does need a ring road/bypass if only to serve the heavy goods vehicles passing through. Its been a subject of debate for many years and has been seriously looked by the council/planning division, my father used to work on the P.C.C. road markings division and he used to talk to me about this when I was eight years old.
I hope the powers that be see sense and build a bypass before a serious traffic incident occurs."
Eddie Ward from Llandrindod Wells sent us this contribution in February 2008:
Eddie"To add to my comments of 2yrs ago,Talgarth now has a relief road.A big improvement,and now it is Rhayader and Builth to fight for a bypass.
Concerning the Newtown bypass,I can't see the W.A.G spending the money that this would cost especialy now the Newbridge on Wye bypass is to be built in 12 mths time. I would suggest there would be a better chance of having relief roads built. One road could be built from the Dolfor road down through the Mochdre Ind Est and joining the Hafren roundabout,this would relieve a certain amount of trafiic from the Dolfor road junction. A road could be built from the new housing estate at Llanllwchaien to a new bridge over the R.Severn and joining the Welshpool road. This would bring partial relief to the Canal road and the McDonalds roundabout from local traffic.The narrow length of Canal Rd could be made one way to stop any misuse. The roads need to lowered under the Dolfor Rd and Nantoer bridges. High lorries would then have no reason to use housing estate roads to avoid low bridges. I don't think there is a cheap or easy solution.Maybe Newtown should go for one relief road at a time."
Johnny from Newtown is a supporter of a ring road system.
Johnny:"I think Newtown needs a ring road that would suit every one north south east and west. Get on the ring road and away you go."
Jim from Newtown posted his thougts in January 2008
"The problems with traffic flow in Newtown seemed to start some time ago when the powers that be decided their new system (traffic lights at
post office area ) would work..well it hasnt..all the new traffic lights
have done is congest all the traffic at rush hours coming into Newtown.
The pool road roundabout is perticularly difficult to negotiate. Just
stand by the co-op and watch. Get rid of the lights and go back to good
old zebra crossings and some mini round abouts all the way up to the
college. This may not completely solve the problem but would certainly
make ones journeys easier.I agree..a bypass isn't needed but correct
trafic management is essential and cheaper..surely if the people of
Newtown can come up with solutions surely educated highly paid
professionals can...no..now I'm asking to much."
James Evans from Llanllwchaiarn has some suggestions about how to improve traffic flow in Newtown:
James:"I'm unsure as to whether we should bypass Newtown. If we bypass the town this may affect the amount of people coming into the town, do we have enough of a draw to still keep our streets busy?
It could have an adverse affect on our economy, as it did in Llanidloes & Welshpool (which some may say that they have only recently recovered from).
I agree that traffic in the town is a problem, again it all stems from the round-a-bout at the top of the town. It is simply not large enough to support the amount of traffic that use it. Coupled with the fact that people just sit on it, blocking the free movement of traffic around the town. I also feel that the implementation of box junctions around the town has been hampered by the fact that no-one seems to be able to use them correctly.
In London a system was set up to fine drivers who do not use Box Junctions correctly, could this be adapted for Newtown to keep traffic flowing freely through the round-a-bout and box junctions?
Is removing the round-a-bout an option? Could we replace it with a four-way box junction, with traffic lights? I'm sure a computer model could be set up to model options for the Councill and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Despite my misgivings over whether we by-pass the town, I do agree that something does need to be done!"
"Clive Pritchard from Tregynon calls for a by-pass because of the effect it has on the town's architecture.
"Every morning the road through Newtown is clogged with heavy traffic which has no choice but to go through the town, same goes for holiday traffic. As a result, the buildings are suffering and discoloured and the road surface needs constant attention at the tax payers expense. It takes me ten minutes to get to town but ten minutes just to get through it to work! Show Wales cares about Newtown, show us the money and give us a by pass!"
S.F. Dixon from Newtown believes that traffic in Newtown is so great that a by-pass is the only option.
"I much live on the estate by the College. It can take half an hour to get to town at busy times. If I visit Welshpool, I have to travel back through town to get to my house.If there was a bypass this would be so much easier.It would save time and fuel. As I am disabled I have few choices with transport,so I almost invariably have to use my car, and sit endlessly in a traffic queue. I know this isn't as bad as a city, but getting to town is now only to be attempted at certain times. I try not to go at busy times,unless it's unavoidable so those that need to get to work/school etc are not further inconveinianced. However I am now being constantly surprised by the amount of traffic at what used to be a quieter time of day. Newtown bypass,yes please!"
Jan from Newtown believes that other amenities should come first.
"If ever there was enough money to consider building a Newtown bypass we should consider the town's other needs. The social provisions for our teenagers are woeful to say the least and our leisure facilities are very, very poor.
The current leisure centre is used almost exclusively by schools during the day and by clubs at night; the services on offer are limited, outdated and inadequate.
More money needs to be spent (in consultation with residents as a user group) on extending and improving these facilities (possibly also creating a good (alcohol free) social meeting point for our youth).
The traffic problems Newtown experiences are small, limited to just a few months of the year and for an hour or so each day. The quality of our community life is with us always."
Robin from Newtown has changed his mind about the by-pass:
"Whilst initally I was all for a Newtown By Pass, but on further reflection, I am not convinced that there is a need as the existing rout (which by passes the town center) is sufficient. Having said this less amount of money could be invested in modifying the Dolfor road and Nantoer bridges to allow the HGV vehicles to use the existing rout leaving the Treowen & Garth Owen housing estates to restrict traffic to acsses only."
.
Gareth from Newtown thinks the idea should be put to bed:
"I often wonder where the money is to be found to build a bypass around Newtown. As Graham has conceded there's not an easy answer to a suitable route - up on the hillside or on stilts above the railway. That's an awful lot of money that could be spent on hospitals and schools. The figure £50 million plus has been mentioned to me as a cost. By the time any bypass is built road user charging will have kicked in, what price will oil be then? And as anyone who knows Newtown knows there will still be a queue of traffic along Welshpool and Llanidloes Roads every morning and evening as most traffic is generated by commuters who work in Newtown, not the fabled through traffic. There's a huge opportunity cost to this white elephant that our children and grandchildren will not forgive. It's best to put it to bed."
Graham from Kerry replies to Gareth:
"Did I say permanently? Why not temporarily? While the bypass is built on stilts above the railway the idea to close the railway was intended to stimulate debate and ideas. While I agree with some of Gareth's comments Dyffryn ind. estate is only on one side of the line. The road through Maesyrhandir could be made one way, this would give extra space and width along the back of Wynfields. As I recall at the rear of Coleg Powys it is mainly car parking space which could be moved. Whatever route they eventually use there will be a great deal of dissruption. Perhaps we should form a blockade of the road? It works for the French and the people of Welshpool if my memory is correct. Or should we tunnel our way through?! Now there's a thought."
Gareth Marson from Newtown replies to Graham's comments below:
"Alas, Graham from Kerry's ides to use the railway line as a route for the bypass ignores two very crucial and irrefutuable facts.
1. The 600,000 people per annum who use the raiwlay might be a little but annoyed at his ideas to close it.
2. The minimum width specified for new roads by WAG & the DfT is a lot wider than the strip of land used by the railway . Therefore extra land would be used demolishing parts of CVoleg Powys, Wynfields, Maesydail and the Dyffryn Ind Estate might not be to popular either.
Think about? Its a no brainer - the answer's No!"
Graham from Kerry says:
"Close the railway and build a bypass? Think about it."
Andy Mason from Caerhowel says a bypass is needed, especially during holiday periods:
"It's ludicrous that Welspool has one but not Newtown. I use the road to and from Newtown and dread the "holiday" season when passing traffic crowds the roads and quite simply Newtown cannot cope with it. And, with the impending Tesco building to go up in the old livestock market, this will only add to a mad stuation. What are the road "planners" doing? It should have been built 10 years ago. Same old story, no money for Welsh roads!"
Sarah Lloyd-Jones from Newtown says her estate has particular problems:
"I live on Treowen and you only need to stand on Treowen Road at rushhour to see the amount of trafic that goes through the estate to beat the jams through the town. When they count the traffic going through, they miss the 50 cars an hour that don't have any buissnes up here in the first place. I think in another few years, Treowen will need a bypass of its own."
Dean from Carno says rail could provide a solution:
"Moving freight by rail would reduce quite a bit of the congestion, together with re-opening stations. This would work out a lot cheaper than building a bypass, and cause no damage to the surrounding contryside. Large investments in roads now will be a waste. What's going to happen when oil eventually runs out?"
Angela from Newtown is concerned about the traffic pollution:
"I am a former Newtown resident, having been born in Newtown. The town was developed as we all know in the early 1970's. The main road to Llani or Aberyswyth is as busy as the M6 or any other motorway in this country. What noone mentions is all the pollution that comes off the Llani road, almost non stop for 24 Hrs. As Newtown is in a 'Dip' this pollution all falls back down on the estates, Maesyrandhir, Vaynor, and Trehafren. Ask the mothers if their children have breathing problems? It's about time someone or somebody sorted this great big mess out."
Mark from Newtown plots out the route for any proposed bypass:
"Newtown suffers from TRAFFIC FLOW problems at peak times. If we cannot sit in our cars for 6 minutes to clear the traffic lights on a non-busy period we would never ever go to Birmingham, London etc. Why? because we would be suffering road rage. The bypass (if it ever is needed) will travel the following route: Penarth Bend, exiting left across the railway to travel west towards the rear of the Lion Works, across the Kerry main road by the bottom of the Vastre Hill, travel west along the rear of Treowen and drop down into the Garthowen area where the Dolfor Road takes a nasty right hand bend (or straight on up the Middle Dolfor Road). From the field at the back of the Garthowen properties it will cut through the Mochdre Industrial Estate heading past William O'Hanlons and Laura Ashleys to merge with the roundabout outside of Coleg Powys. Here many moons ago the Welsh Office paid £750,000 to improve the junction. The route for the bypass was laid out in the 1970s by the DBRW. The land has never been built on, the infrastructure was improved. Its all there waiting; but we don't need it anyway. We need to better manage the flow of traffic through the town!"
Tanya and Vicky from Abermule would both welcome a bypass:
"It is riduculous in the mornings and nights and not to mention through out the day to get through the heavy flow of traffic, which seems to be a daily ritual. Having a by-pass would make the lives of people of Newtown and the surrounding area's easier by far."
Howard Roberts-Jones from Newtown argues for a link to the Llandrindod Road:
"Anyone who has had to suffer the attempt to get through Newtown particularly during the evening rush hour will be persuaded that a bypasss isnt a luxury but a necessity. Why, why can't a link to the Llandrindod road be made? A roundabout coming onto the top of the Mochdre Estate would make a fantastic difference to the problem say just above William Ohanlon which is only a few yards from the Llandod Road."
Bill Smith from Newtown says a bypass was first discussed back in the 1960s:
"I remember back in the mid 60s when the need for a bypass was first muted. At that time there was room for one around where Safeways and the Lion Works now are and before Mochdre was developed. The town 'fathers' were against it then because it did not suit their vested interests in the business community. Newtown is a total mess from a traffic point of view. The passage through the town builds up a traffic queue which if you are really unlucky means following a HGV to Aberystwyth. As with Welshpool before it's bypass, the majority want to pass through or by it asap in order to get somewhere else. It's too late for Newtown now unless they go to the expense of a bypass such as at Brecon which takes to the hillside to circumnavigate the town. With the advent of large supermarkets on the immediate horizo,n the problem will really come to light. Well done the 'town fathers' of yesteryear."
Howard from Newtownemailed us on 14 January 2006 to warn of possible short-term problems...
"Watch out for chaos - there are at least two road works under way nextweek including lowering the roas surface at the bridge by JT Hughes."
Gareth Marston from Newtown thinks most of Newtown's traffic problems are generated by the town itself:
"Other town councillors have confided to me that they agree that most of Newtown's traffic problems are genrated by the town itself rathar than through traffic. There is undoubtdely a problem - no one could deny that, but it is small beer to that experinced in urban Britain. The clsoure of factories and the taking away of jobs in nearby Llanidloes and Carno have resulted in more people coming into Newtown to work. Councillors like Richard Noyce often try and play the fact that businesses won't come to Newtown because there isn't a bypass. This is a load of nonsense, a bypass will not make a blind bit of difference if your far eastern competitors can undercut you on wage rates and there's many a town in Wales with a bypass and dual carriageway that has higher unemployment and worse social deprivation than Newtown."
Nikki from just outside Newtown thinks the traffic problems only occur at certain times of the day:
"While I sometimes wish Newtown had a bypass, the rest of the time I don't see much need for one (apart from the lorries). My journey time to work doubles during schooltime, not because I'm taking children to school (because I'm not), but because parents insist on driving their children to school, instead of getting up that bit earlier to walk them there or, in the case of older children, making them walk. We're turning into a lazy society. I know people who drive to work when it's within walking distance. I only experience traffic problems when going to and from work, never at any other time of the day. Maybe some factories could consider starting/finishing a bit earlier or later than others. Apart from the usual 9 and 5 traffic and the odd holiday weekend, I rarely experience problems on the roads in town. If a bypass is needed then where would it go? (Rant over)."
In January 2006, County Councillor Richard Noyce called for a concerted campaign for a bypass:
"The comments from a wide range of people on the comment site nearly all support the need for a Newtown by-pass. How right they are! Powys County Councillors representing Newtown, of whom I am one, have in fact been pushing for a logical, unified traffic plan for the town for a long time. We are making some progress but, unfortunately, the final responsibility for trunk road developments and their financing rests with the Welsh Assembly, and they do not as yet seem to share the opinion that a by-pass is needed as a matter of urgency. The forward plan for roads seems to concentrate on North and, especially, South Wales. No surprises there then! The recent decision by the Assembly not to proceed with the by-pass for Llanymynech only serves to confirm the lack of Welsh Assembly will to help Mid Wales. If those people fed up with the problems caused by the increasing traffic and the deteriorating highways network in and around Newtown would write to local AMs and to the Welsh Assembly, perhaps something might start to happen. The County Council Highways directorate will continue to be pressed by Council Members from Newtown to do whatever it can, but a sensible and lasting solution has got to involve the Assembly as well... It is time to make a whole lot more noise about this issue - something might then happen."
Tim from Newtown makes a number of points:
"Newtown's congestion is getting worse year on year - it can take up to 20 mins on a Friday afternoon to travel accross town in the summer. Some parts of Newtown now have pretty much constant traffic in the day in the week and at weekends. A lot of the drivers passing through (not all though) can be inconsiderate - especially those in lorries stopping outside garages and fast food establishments etc. who block the road for everyone and cause mile tailbacks! I agree that cycle paths could ease the congestion a little - if there was a cycle path along Pool Road, I would cycle to work! The other alternative would be a bus service along Pool road that was regular and reliable. But realistically the only way traffic can be eased is by building a bypass. Unless the scenic river walks are to be wrecked realistically this means a long bypass out of town or moving the railway and using this route like they did at Welshpool?? Maybe the Welsh Assembly should be relocated so that it is more central to Wales and Assembly Members travel into Newtown each day at peak times - maybe this would make a difference. Something else that may ease the traffic is a better junction for Morrisons - this appears to generate alot of traffic at peak times. Also something should be done about the new bridge roundabout and the park street junction - there's been loads of accidents at these busy junctions.
Abi McCullough from Newtown thinks a by-pass is a good idea but asks where would it go?:
"Yes, Newtown needs a by-pass. I live out on the Mochdre road and work in Welshpool - it sometimes takes me as long to get through Newtown as it does to then get to Welshpool. However, where can the by-pass go? They've built housing estates (Treowen, Garthowen etc) on the only viable route in my opinion, otherwise you've got the Severn to contend with - tricky and very expensive."
Angela from Newtown says the town's roads are dangerous without a bypass:
"Newtown definitely needs a bypass. Only in July a friend of mine was hit by a car. She was walking on the path when a car crossed the oncoming traffic, crossed a grass verge and hit her. 4 months on she's still not back at work. I also refuse to cycle to work because it is too dangerous with all the lorries trying to overtake me. Something needs to be done soon before someone gets killed!"
Geraint Jones from Newtown says yes to a bypass:
"Traffic volume in Newtown increases year on year and now with both towns either side of Newtown with bypasses in place, the bottleneck is here. A bypass would allow local traffic to get around easier, delaying building a bypass will make it even more difficult to put one in place when the traffic situation gets even more gridlocked. Welspool and Llanidloes have survived and feel much friendlier places without all the lorries bustling through."
Like Emyr (below), Alan Gildersleve also emailed us from London with his comments:
"I suppose the traffic that passes through Newtown is the same as that that passes through Tywyn early in the morning. The last time I stayed in Tywyn the traffic through past my window on the one way system early in the morning was intolerable. I wondered where it all came from. If Newtown had a by-pass heaven help the towns that the traffic all passed through afterwards."
Emyr from Newtown/London says other alternatives should be considered:
"The bottom line here is there is too much vehicular traffic. As we have seen in the past, predict and provide simply generates more traffic - then ultimately we have to build another bypass to avoid the congested bypass. In a town like Newtown, where not many live more than 3 miles along flat routes to employment sites and the town centre, it is absolute madness that some transport cash is not spent on local transport solutions such as cycle and pedestian infrastucture. This would result in a far more pleasant situation for residents and would encourage more visits from passing tourists rather than the current situation where they all wish to drive through as quickly as possible because those responsible for Newtowns built environment have created such an unsustanable model of urban development."
Bill from Llandrinio puts forward the case for a bypass:
"There is good argument for a bypass, alongside an urgent need for measures to improve the present flow of traffic through the town. But I have to raise issue with the economic argument about a bypass removing through traffic that might otherwise stop off in the town. When I drive through a busy, congested town I have no desire at all to stop off there, I just want to get through as quickly as possible. I am more likely to stop in a bypassed town whose tourist facilities are well advertised at the access points."
Gareth Marston from Newtown proposes a more balanced approach to transport policies:
"Most of the peak congestion is caused not by through traffic but by traffic travelling across town or people coming to work in the town - a bypass would remove neither and traffic queues would still exist after a bypass was built. Sure a bypass would remove HGV's and the summer tourist traffic but is the £50 million price tag worth it if the Llani Rd is still choked at 0845 every morning? Most of the lorries that run through the town are travelling from Carmarthenshire to the North West of England, surely traffic that should be rail borne? The railway through the town currently carries half a million passengers a year keeping many vehicles off the road a proposal for a more frequent service that would carry more has been on the table for years yet the powers that be drag their heels about implementing it. Newtown problems are a result of lop sided transport policies for the last forty years a balanced approach is long overdue."
Lee from Newtown says the lives of Newtown residents are made a misery by traffic gridlock in the town:
"I tend to agree that Newtown most definately needs to be bypassed. I do accept that this is likely to cause some reduction in the amount of passing trade, one look at Llanidloes since it was bypassed will tell you that Newtown business is likely to suffer. However a town isn't just a place where people set up business, it is also a place where people live and it's these people who's lives are being made a misery by ever increasing gridlock of the roads through Newtown. As a Civil Engineer I agree that building a bypass would be difficult and expensive, but as a resident of Newtown I have no doubt the town will only be improved as a result of a bypass."
David Ainscow from Newtown thinks Newtown's traffic problems should be solved by an external agency:
"The By passes of Welshpool and Llanidloes deliver traffic into Newtown in high volumes and at speed. For a very small town, the traffic flow at peak periods is disproportionately heavy. Add to this the four sets of unsequenced traffic lights Newtown is gridlocked. The County Council does not have the expertise or the political will to recommend a solution to The Assembly. Outside agencies therefore should be employed to provide a solution to this problem; the Coucillors for their part must agree to accept one of them!"
Gareth from Newtown says a bypass is needed for safety reasons:
"Private housing estates are being used as rat runs for heavy goods vehicles. This,however, is not a recent occurance as eg Treowen housing estate has been used in this way for many years. A bypass is a priority to restore the safety on housing estate roads."
Adam from Abermule says traffic flow is paramount:
"Yes, Newtown needs a by pass, but right now the road planners need to get their heads in gear and stop traffic turning right and blocking the flow. Right hand turning lanes are urgently needed into Trehafren's entrances on Llani road just like Vaynor. Up by the Lion works and Focus DIY, the same solution is needed. Traffic Flow is paramount and Newtown has a severe lack of planning for it!"
Hayley Arthur from Llandrinio near Welshpool is in favour of a by-pass:
"Yes, I agree with the majority. A bypass should be made around Newtown and towards Welshpool to link with the Welshpool bypass as this road is fast and dangerous."
Huw from Sheffield says building a by-pass wouldn't be easy:
"I don't really think Newtown needs a by-pass, the traffic isn't that bad, even at peak times. Take a visit to York to see real traffic problems. If they built the bypass, where would it go? I should imagine it was fairly easy to build the Welshpool bypass as there was space, but Newtown is built in a valley with no space available."
Mark from Newtown thinks Builth and Rhayader have priority over Newtown:
"Does Newtown need a Bypass? There are far too many congested towns in Mid Wales, but Builth Wells and Rhayader have priority over Newtown. Traffic flows well through the town except for a few days a year when the Midlands exodus travels west."
Leanne from Newtown says there are too many heavy lorries passing through residential areas:
"Traffic congestion is constantly getting worse and worse at peak times during the day. There are too many heavy lorries going through housing and residential areas. something needs to be done soon."
Eddie Ward from Llandrindod Wells says it's not only Newtown that's in need of a by-pass:
"Newtown needs a bypass, but there are other towns in Mid Wales that have a greater need for a bypass than Newtown. Rhayader, Talgarth and Builth Wells are in desperate need of a bypass. As residents of Powys we should look at the needs of all towns and not just our own town."
Sarah Cooper from Llanon often dirves through the area:
"Me and my partner regularly travel up to Derbyshire and it seems to take an age to get through Newtown. Yes, jobs may be lost if this were to happen but the main road through at the moment is mainly past houses and housing estates. Surely this is an accident waiting to happen with all the lorries that use this road"
Chris from Newtown is all in favour of a by-pass:
"I used to walk along Llanidloes Road a lot and I noticed heavy congestion and a fair bit of road rage building up, due to tourists and other non-locals not understanding the way the traffic system works.
Newtown is a pleasant market town, and those who wish to shop here and pass through for a snack will continue to do so, but those who just want to carry on through, like lorry drivers etcm, can do so without adding extra congestion, and making poole road and Llani Road much more free flowing... Fingers crossed for the future!"
Philip Glynn from Newtown says:
"We have lived here for 30 years and so many times a bypass has been discussed. It's simple, there won't be a bypass in my lifetime, unless a Lord or somebody really important like the Beckham's buy a house with lots of traffic passing."
John Amos from Nottingham is in favour of an alternative route:
"I think Newtown does need a bypass. Although I don't live there, I drive through several times a month and the traffic is awful. The traffic lights seem to cause a lot of hold-ups. As for Gideon's comment on the town losing passing trade, this may be true but I myself don't stop but just drive through."
Gideon from Newtown sees it from both sides of the debate:
"I have read two suggestions and they are both correct. I live in Treowen as well and I get woken up by some of the lorries because I live next to the road but Newtown isn't exactly a town thriving with job opportunities. The last thing it needs is more places closing down due to the lack of passng trade and having more unemployed people! Who ever makes the decision, make it wisely!"
Gill from London:
"Yes, a bypass is needed in Newtown as the traffic is so very slow. Levelling the town seems a very good idea!"
Barbara from Brick New Jersey in the USA:
"Summer traffic is ridiculous and many a time when trying to get into town from the Pool Road I have not been able to make a right turn, so have ended up making a left and going via Aberbechan and the Canal. Also, what about the poor people living on New Road and Llanidloes Road, how do they get to cross the street?"
Mathew from Aberystwyth considers the economic impact:
"The economic consequence of a Newtown bypass would be very negative. Many people passing through stop for food, petrol general shopping, tourism. There are probably many jobs relying on such trade."
Debbie from Newtown kicked off this talking point with these comments:
"In my opinion, Newtown needs a bypass as I live on Treowen Housing estate and the size of the lorries that are constantly coming through here, one day there will be a big accident, there is a primary school here, they are very dangerous and they don't seem to keep to the speed limit either.
At present there is a windfarm being built locally and all the lorries have to come though the housing estates and the size of them is stupid."
Do you agree or disagree? Whatever your viewpoint, get in touch and have Your Say.
