James Evans has raised further concerns with the Welsh Government about an accident blackspot in his constituency.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MS asked at the Senedd for a statement from the Transport Secretary on the Government’s roads review.

He said it has been decided not to proceed with an improvement scheme at the Pontybat crossroads on the A470, which he said has been the scene of several accidents over the years.

Mr Evans said the roads review panel had decided not to proceed with a planned improvement scheme as it wasn’t considered suitable.

He said that decision had raised “great alarm” in the local community.

Mr Evans told Leader of the Senedd, Jane Hutt: “It would be useful to get an update on the roads review panel and its work to make sure that schemes like the one at Pontybat get done.

“We’ve lost too many lives unnecessarily there, and any delay might cost more.”

Ms Hutt said the Government supports local authorities with grants if there is a particular issue about road safety.

She suggested that Mr Evans take it up with the local authority and also write to the Transport Secretary.

The Pontybat scheme was originally part of the Safe Overtaking Opportunities programme. It was raised as a possibility of improving safety at the junction and providing a safe opportunity to overtake in the westerly direction.

But earlier this year the Road Reviews Panel decided that a safety scheme for the junction should not proceed “because the case for change is weak.”

Back in June, Mr Evans asked for an update on the Pontybat scheme from Transport Secretary, Ken Skates.

Mr Skates said officials had reviewed personal injury collisions for the last three years at the junction. But he said they found that collisions “have all been different in nature and there is no defining trend.”

“This location does not meet our criteria for a detailed study, however, we will continue to monitor,” added Mr Skates.

He said that due to funding limitations, a “strict evidence-based approach” is used to ensure that money is spent to best effect.

In August, Lib Dem MS for Mid and West Wales Jane Dodds wrote to Mr Skates, calling for urgent action to be taken to avoid “any potential tragedies”.

She also highlighted fading road markings on the A470 as well as worn-down anti-slip material.

Disappointment around the safety scheme being dropped has also been expressed by councillor for Bronllys and Felin-fach, Tom Colbert, and Felinfach Community Council.

A Welsh Government spokesperson told the B&R back in the summer they were “working closely” with Powys County Council to improve roads, including at Pontybat.

The plans, which were part of the Mid Wales Safety Schemes Programme, would have seen a roundabout installed at the junction.

Pontybat proposed plans
An artist impression aerial view of the proposed plans looking south west. The plans were scrapped last year (Welsh Government)

The Welsh Government announced in February 2023 that all major road building projects in Wales had been ditched over environmental concerns, and published the results of a wide-ranging roads review by a panel of experts.

This is despite a 2021 Welsh Government consultation document denoting Pontybat crossroad junction a “priority scheme” in the programme.

The document noted there had been 10 collisions on or near to the junction in the five years prior and said that high mainline traffic speeds make it difficult for A470 southbound traffic to enter the junction safely.

But an independent panel noted that the Pontybat junction is not “a collision cluster site”- although added that collisions at the junction should be kept under review to see if there’s a case for “a low-cost Local Safety Scheme or roundabout without differential acceleration lane”.