CANDIDATES standing for Monmouth in next week's Senedd Election have weighed into the debate around a potential Chepstow bypass.

The idea of a bypass around the town - which has long suffered with congestion - has been in the offing for years.

And, in their Senedd Election manifesto, the Welsh Conservatives have pledged to make the plans a reality.

The party's candidate for Monmouth Cllr Peter Fox said: “Persistent congestion and high levels of air pollution have been hampering opportunities in Chepstow for far too long.

“Bluntly, Chepstow cannot wait any longer for the crucial bypass to be given the green light.

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“For this project to become a reality will now require all sides to also commit to it.

“We urgently need to unlock the true potential of this corner of Wales."

Nick Ramsay, who has represented the constituency in the Senedd as a Conservative since 2007 and is standing as an Independent candidate after being deselected by the party, has also long supported the plan.

"I have repeatedly made the case for a Chepstow Bypass to ease congestion and pollution in the town," he said.

“The reality is of course that at least two thirds of the new road would be across the border in Gloucestershire so we need to see the UK Government commit to this project wholeheartedly.”

But Green Party candidate Ian Chandler said that the idea of building a new road to deal with congestion was like the saying "to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail".

"Not only will it take many years if not decades to be built, but experience from across the UK tells us that new roads simply generate new traffic and the original problems remain," he said.

"In the short-term, money needs to be spent on improving choke-points such as the High Beech roundabout."

He stressed the need to look forward, not backward, after the pandemic.

The Liberal Democrats' Jo Watkins said that she was glad to see other parties "have finally decided to join the campaign".

"The road infrastructure around Chepstow is completely inadequate for the amount of new development being proposed in the area," she said.

"Radical action needs to be taken."

Laurence Williams, Gwlad candidate for Monmouth, supported the idea of a bypass, saying it would also improve access to Chepstow Racecourse.

All parties were contacted for comment.

All the candidates standing for Monmouth:

  • Susan Boucher - Reform UK
  • Ian Roy Chandler - Green Party
  • Peter Alan Fox - Conservative
  • Elspeth Agnes Pearl Hill - Freedom Alliance. No Lockdowns. No Curfews
  • Hugh Michael Andrew Kocan - Plaid Cymru
  • Catrin Myfanwy Maby - Labour
  • Nick Ramsay - Independent
  • Mark John Reckless - Abolish The Welsh Assembly Party
  • Jo Watkins - Liberal Democrats
  • Laurence Williams - Gwlad - The Welsh Independence Party