Proposals which could lead to the building of a new motorway south of Newport were put out to consultation by the Welsh Government last week.

I question the sense of spending something north of £1bn on a road that would cut through the beautiful Gwent Levels. It seems a ridiculous proposition when the Welsh Government keeps banging on about the need for more sustainable transport.

People are complaining to me about rising hospital waiting lists, a constituent has contacted to me about not being able to get approval for treatment for his cancer while the Welsh education system is under fire for failing to deliver for many pupils.

And yet despite all these financial pressures, the Welsh Government is considering throwing an enormous amount of money on a road. If this goes ahead I don’t want to hear another word again from the Welsh Government about a lack of money to do this and that.

Why haven’t proper public transport alternatives been published for people to see? It seems all very one sided – a determination to drive through another road.

There are alternatives – and they would be cheaper. Why can’t the existing A48 corridor, which would be a less environmentally damaging alternative, be considered? The Newport Southern Distributor Road already exists so why can’t that be improved to take more traffic?

And what about the legacy we would leave our children with damage to the Gwent Level?. As I’ve said before, this is not just any old piece of green space – it is one of the largest surviving areas of ancient grazing marches and reen systems.

A relief road would damage wildlife, habitat, archaeology and also affect what is a fantastic green space. Once this beautiful area is tarmacked over there is no turning back.

If you believe this scheme is wrong for Gwent, wrong for Wales and wrong for the environment you can make your views known through www.M4newport.com. Consultation, closes on December 16.

RVS

I visited the Royal Voluntary Service at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr recently to see the work they do. The shop serves hospital patients, staff and visitors with proceeds raised going towards the cost of services and equipment.

But the RVS is much more than that. They run lunch and social clubs and offer valuable befriending service and work on providing a suitable support packages for people in their homes.

If you would like to volunteer or find out more about their services call 0845 608 0122. It is sure to be very rewarding.