Plaid leader accused of ‘greenwash’

Mar 19 2008 by Rhodri Clark, Western Mail

WALES’ Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones was branded “utterly irresponsible” yesterday after funding for Welsh rail schemes was slashed to almost nothing.

Last week the Welsh Assembly Government announced £118m of transport grants, including £8.5m for rail schemes, for 2008-09.

But the Western Mail has discovered most of that rail money has already been accounted for by previous announcements.

Sources say only £2.3m is new funding – of which about £2m is for a new station car park at Abercynon.

The only investment to make train journeys better is £334,000 – or 0.3% of the transport grants – for frequent trains between Maesteg and Cardiff.

Last year’s announcement awarded 26% of transport grants to rail schemes. This year’s increases funding for road schemes by more than 50%.

Last week Mr Jones, Transport Minister in the coalition Government, hailed the grants as a green transport boost “to ensure sustainable development”.

But Friends of the Earth Cymru accused him of “greenwash” when so little was allocated to rail improvements and most of the money would go on roads.

“People would have expected Plaid to have fairly green policies,” said director Gordon James. “It’s a bit ironic that we have a Labour Environment Minister who has a determined attitude towards tackling climate change, and we have a Plaid minister as head of transport who is showing a real lack of understanding.

“The situation is extremely serious, but these people [Mr Jones and his officers] are behaving as if we can carry on as before.

“It’s utterly irresponsible. They are behaving as if the problem of climate change doesn’t exist.”

Kirsty Williams, Liberal Democrat transport spokeswoman, said the grants confirmed her party’s fears about Mr Jones.

“From the very first, we’ve been worried about the emphasis that has been put on roads. We’ve always felt that he’s been going along this route of funding roads over more sustainable modes.

“We do need to ensure our road infrastructure is good, but it’s about balance. We’re already spending a larger proportion on non-sustainable transport methods than, for instance, Scotland.

“This trend is going to get worse if they go ahead like this.”

The Assembly Government’s £68m allocation to local roads includes more than £10m each for four new roads.

Cycling and walking routes will receive £3.3m, and safe community routes £10m.

The £8.5m allocated to railways includes £7.6m for Rhymney Valley station extensions and preparation of the Merthyr Tydfil line for half-hourly services. This funding was mostly announced last year, and both projects are close to completion. Roughly £2m is understood to have been added to the original Merthyr scheme for a car park at Abercynon station.

More than £500,000 is allocated to Llanharan station, which opened last year. This money will not improve rail services, since it covers possible changes to signals for the benefit of horse riders who might use a local bridleway.

The £344,000 for the Maesteg line will prepare for upgrading for half-hourly services and construction of Brackla station, near Bridgend. However, Brackla station may not be built because of concerns the railway is already operating almost at capacity.

The Assembly Government has allocated no funding for rail schemes outside South-East Wales.

An Assembly Government spokeswoman said the reduced funding for rail reflected the Assembly Government’s move toward funding rail schemes directly.

“We believe that it is better to establish a direct relationship with Network Rail rather than remotely manage a relationship between Network Rail and 22 local authorities in Wales.”

She said 42% of the transport grants were non-road schemes.