NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Welsh Ministers propose to make an Order under sections 12, 14, 125, 268 and 326 of the Highways Act 1980 to vary The Neath to Abergavenny Trunk Road (A465) (Abergavenny to Hirwaun Dualling and Slip Roads) and East of Abercynon to East of Dowlais Trunk Road (A4060) and Cardiff to Glan Conwy Trunk Road (A470) (Connecting Roads) (Gilwern to Brynmawr) (Side Roads) Order 2014.

The effect of the proposed Variation Order will align the Side Roads Order with the constructed scheme. Most of the changes are to accommodate earthworks, topographical conditions or to tie in with accommodation works and have been constructed or are under construction.

THE DRAFT VARIATION ORDER now published, if made, would authorise the Welsh Ministers to—

a. carry out the improvement of highways;

b. stop up highways or areas of highways;

c. construct new highways;

d. stop up private means of access to premises;

e. provide new means of access to premises;

f. provide temporary highways;

g. close highways temporarily and

h. provide for the transfer of the new highways to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and Monmouthshire County Council as from the date the Welsh Ministers notify those Councils that they have been completed and are open to traffic;

all on, or in the vicinity of the A465 trunk road between Brynmawr, in the County Borough of Blaenau Gwent, and Gilwern, in the County of Monmouthshire.

THE DRAFT VARIATION ORDER would substitute the key plan and the site plans numbered 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to the plan portfolio HA14/1 WG10 dated 5 September 2013 with the revised key plan numbered B and revised site plans numbered 1D, 1E, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B and 6A in the plan portfolio numbered HA14/1 WG29 to the Variation Order and make minor amendments to the articles and schedules of the 2014 Order.

The purpose of the draft Variation Order is to provide authorisation for—

i. Minor realignment of footpaths (FP) FP333/41/1, FP333/34/2, FP49/37, National Cycle Route (NCR) 492, Geological SSSI Viewing Footpath, and track at Brynmawr Junction to take account of earthworks and conditions on site

. ii. NCR 46 - alternative provision provided by shared cycleway/footway adjacent to A467 and A465 at Brynmawr Roundabout.

iii. Minor relocation of A465 Bridleway Bridge (Hafod Footbridge) and reconfiguration of the turning head on Intermediate Road.

iv. Minor reconfiguration to the new Private Means of Accesses (PMA) leading to Brynmawr Foundation School, electricity pylons, water utility apparatus from Clydach Dingle, industrial vehicular access to fields and Legacy Project.

v. Reconfiguration of Clydach Dingle and realignment of FP333/57/1.

vi. PMA leading to the Mechanix Garage and FP333/16/1 at its junction with Intermediate Road not affected by construction.

vii. Reconfiguration of approach ramps at Pont Harri Isaac Footbridge together with minor realignment of FP333/55/1, FP49/10 and a new PMA leading to Hafod Arch.

viii. Relocation of Blackrock Footbridge and realignment of ramps to the western edge of Blackrock. Improvement of FP52/128 and FP52/23. Main Road improvement reduced and FP52/58 unchanged.

ix. Reduction in construction activity at Main Road adjacent to Waterfall Cave.

x. Changed positions of new PMA to Hafod Inn Flats from Main Road. New PMA to Field House and PMAs unaffected by construction.

xi. Addition of unclassified road and footway to access rear of Hafod Inn Flats, Field House, two public parking spaces and bus stop on the eastbound carriageway of the A465.

xii. The ramp on the southern side of Dan y Coed Footbridge has been realigned to meet FP52/50.

xiii. The proposed bridleway near Rock Cottage will not be constructed due to topography and instability in the area and will be replaced by a footpath as surveyed and agreed with Monmouth County Council.

xiv. The remainder of FP52/34 at Saleyard is stopped up and connectivity maintained through a footway.

xv. Bridleway realignment replacing FP52/34 from Clydach Ironworks to provide connectivity to Main Road.

xvi. Stopping up of FP52/40 added/updated to match Definitive Map.

xvii. Turning head facility/new PMA reconfigured at junction of Forge Row with FP52/113 and footpath parallel to A465 given restricted vehicular access.

xviii. Turning head facility where it meets FP52/120 at Brunant Road is reconfigured.

xix. Realignment and extension of footpath alongside A465 in part to meet Main Road and additional footpath link at former Lion Terrace, Gilwern via FP52/97 to Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.

xx. Reconfiguration of PMA at the former Navigation Inn, Gilwern and realignment and extension of footpath parallel to A465 to FP52/47 along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Towing Path.

xxi. Minor changes including:

Reduction of stopping up and replacement PMA at disused quarry in Blackrock from its junction with Main Road; new PMAs at Clydach North realigned and added to enable access to environmental mitigation areas; reposition of a PMA field access at Dan y Coed; new vehicular PMA with a turning head into fields to the east of Dan y Coed Bungalows; realignment of new PMA at New Pentwyn Farm and Pentwyn Fields and FP52/80; stopping up, interference with certain PMAs, or provision of replacement PMAs throughout the scheme were not required as originally envisaged for the constructed scheme.

xxii. Changes to ‘Highway Authority’ following discussions with the relevant Local Authorities to identify responsibility for certain highway.

Copies of the draft Variation Order, its relevant plans, a Schedule highlighting the changes and Explanatory Statement, together with this Public Notice, The Neath to Abergavenny Trunk Road (A465) (Abergavenny to Hirwaun Dualling and Slip Roads) and East of Abercynon to East of Dowlais Trunk Road (A4060) and Cardiff to Glan Conwy Trunk Road (A470) (Connecting Roads) (Gilwern to Brynmawr) (Side Roads) Order 2014 and the plans referred to, may be inspected free of charge at all reasonable business/office opening hours from 8 January 2025 to 19 February 2025 at the following deposit locations:

Orders Branch, Transport, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ;

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Plas y Ffynnon, Cambrian Way, Brecon, Powys LD3 7HP;

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, The General Offices, Steelworks Road, Ebbw Vale NP23 6DN;

Brynmawr Library, Market Square, Brynmawr NP23 4AJ;

Monmouthshire County Council, Town Hall, Cross Street, Abergavenny, NP7 5EU.

ANY PERSON may not later than 19 February 2025 object to the making of the above draft Variation Order by notice to Orders Branch, Transport, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or by email to TransportOrdersBranch@gov.wales quoting reference qA1451740 and stating the grounds of objection.

Please note: Should you wish to object, support or make representations, your correspondence will be considered by the project team, and we may need to consult with people and organisations outside of the Welsh Government. As part of this process, we may pass information to them, including information you have given us and your personal data. We will, however, only disclose your personal details where it is necessary to do so to enable us to deal with the issues raised. Where a Variation Order becomes the subject of a Public Local Inquiry (PLI), all correspondence is copied to the Inspector of the PLI and is kept in the PLI Library and is publicly available. If you do not wish for certain personal data to be forwarded to third parties, you should state why when submitting your correspondence and the Welsh Ministers will copy the representations to the appropriate third parties with the name and address removed and if there is to be a PLI, the representations will be seen by the Inspector who may give them less weight as a result.

A copy of the draft Variation Order, its public notice, explanatory statement, schedule highlighting the changes, plans together with the made order for the published scheme can be viewed at https://gov.wales/a465-section-2-gilwern-brynmawr.

A copy of this Notice in larger print can be obtained from Orders Branch, Transport, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ.

MICHAEL CLARKE, Transport, Welsh Government