HUNDREDS of people are to descend on the steps outside the Welsh Assembly to voice their opposition to the proposed M4 Relief Road tomorrow.

The crowd will congregate, with placards and ponchos, on the steps at 12.30 noon and hear from speakers from environmental organisations, political parties and local campaigners.

Speakers will include Adam Price, who is the leader of Plaid Cymru; Lee Waters, who is the Welsh Labour Assembly Member for Llanelli; Amelia Womack, who is the deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales; and Ann Picton, who is a local resident and long-time campaigner against the road.

Representatives from five organisations, which organised the rally, will also take to the stage which includes Haf Elgar from Friends of the Earth Cymru, Ian Rappel from Gwent Wildlife Trust, Annie Smith from RSPB Cymru, Catherine Linstrum from Campaign Against the Levels Motorway (CALM) and Robert Hepworth from Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW).

Haf Elgar, who is the director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: “At a time when world leaders are at a UN conference to tackle climate change, and shortly after the IPCC report warned the world that climate change is happening at an unprecedented pace and scale, we cannot lock ourselves into a high-carbon polluting future by blowing all Wales’ borrowing money and more on this devastating road. This decision symbolises the future we want for Wales - we have a duty to future generations to say No New M4 and invest instead in a sustainable future."

The chief executive of Gwent Wildlife Trust, Ian Rappel, believes that the spacious areas of the Gwent Levels should not be "sacrified" for a relief road.

He said: “The planned new M4 motorway will cost the Earth in every sense for both people and wildlife - destroying Wales’ very own Amazon. It flies in the face of Wales’ excellent Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, and threatens to leave taxpayers with a bill of around £2 billion pounds – all for a possible saving of only 10 minutes' average journey time.

“The Welsh Government should scrap their plans and, instead of spending much-needed public funds on a new motorway, they should invest in a modern, fully integrated public transport system, fit for the people of Wales.”

Outgoing First Minister Carwyn Jones suggested he may not make a decision on the M4 relief road before he leaves office in two weeks' time.

The report of an independent inquiry into the scheme, which runs to 580 pages, has been received by the Welsh Government and is currently being considered by officials.