AMONG those concerned about the proposal to create a new M4 relief road by 2020, is James Byrne, the living landscapes manager at Wildlife Trust Wales.

He said: “We think that borrowing £1.2bn to fund a motorway is bad for the environment and a bad deal for Welsh tax payers, especially as the Gwent levels are home to so many wildlife species.

“The Gwent levels bring £67m worth of benefits – such as flood relief – every year.

“The wetland system has been around since Roman times. This is a very unique area and the threat to wildlife is significant.

“The Welsh Government is striving to be a world leader in sustainable development, but here they are ripping up that commitment.”

Mr Byrne will be giving evidence to the environment and sustainability committee in the Senedd on Wednesday.

“They believe these proposals are so serious in terms of impact, they are having an enquiry into it,” he added.

“There are better ways with dealing with congestion but the consultation doesn’t consider any other options other than building a motorway. They haven’t looked at the alternatives to pouring concrete over 9km of nationally protected wetlands.”

Frances Taylor is also concerned about the lack of options provided in the consultation so far.

Miss Taylor, a county councillor for Monmouthshire Council said: “There are alternatives to having a relief road that crosses the Gwent levels and has a significant impact for the people of Magor.”

Ms Taylor, who represents the Magor and Undy wards, believes there are other alternatives which aren’t being explored, such as upgrading the Llanwern road or developing public transport.

The Magor resident said: “Some of the problems could be solved with better traffic management on the M4. A lot of the traffic is local traffic. But also, a public transport option would allow people to get to work in a much better way.

“All these things could reduce the need for a relief road.”

The plans aren’t detailed enough for Ms Taylor to truly access the impact for residents in Magor. But she believes this could be an opportunity to improve the transport infrastructure in south east Wales, in line with sustainability.

She added: “I think the Welsh Government’s starting point is flawed. In my view, the proposal is not economic and it’s also quite environmentally damaging. Both these factors should be equally important.

“I think to suggest that building a motorway will solve Wales’ economic problems is crazy. That is all our money for a generation for transport. “

The federation of small businesses has also raised the issue of the vast amount of funding required for the road.

Janet Jones, Welsh policy unit chairwoman for FSB, said: “While the devolution of borrowing powers is undoubtedly welcome, we remain concerned there is a danger that too much of the available funding could be swallowed up by the proposed M4 relief road, leaving little for vital infrastructure investment in other parts of Wales.”