RESIDENTS of a village set to be directly affected by plans to build an M4 relief road have voiced their objections to the Welsh Government.

Residents living in Magor and Undy, the community council and Monmouthshire county councillor Frances Taylor called the proposed road “short-sighted” and claimed it will only serve to move issues elsewhere, at a public inquiry yesterday.

The preferred “black route”, as it is known, sets out a six-lane motorway running south of Newport between junction 23A at Magor to junction 29 at Castleton.

But objectors feel paying more than £1 billion for such a stretch of road does “not offer value for money” for Welsh taxpayers, and that the “significant financial, social, economic and environmental costs of the scheme greatly outweigh the stated benefits”.

A statement by the collective group added: “The impact will cause detriment in residential amenity to numbers of residents and irreversible environmental damage to the community of Magor and the historic landscape of the Gwent levels.”

In response, chief witness for the Welsh Government Matthew Jones told the objectors at the inquiry: “The proposed junction arrangement would provide local benefits to meet the needs of the growing population.”

He also said the junction would alleviate the need for Monmouthshire County Council’s proposed Magor and Undy Bypass scheme.

Instead, the Magor and Undy group say the alternative “blue route”, which would use parts of the Newport South Distributor Road (SDR) and the former steelworks road, would provide a “less environmentally damaging” option.

Mr Jones admitted that disruption on the Gwent Levels would be “significantly diminished” but stated that it would take longer to deliver than the black route.

The diverse mixture of objectors also said they were weary of their voices being “drowned out” Welsh Government experts.

Cllr Taylor said: “We are also mindful that Welsh Government officials, their legal team and their expert witnesses will be available each day.

“We are ordinary people with work, caring and other commitments and we cannot hope to appear with the same regularity.”

Anger over the road’s potential to damage the former Magor vicarage Woodlands House resurfaced after it was fiercely debated last week.