Welsh government stuck with £22m homes after Mark Drakeford abandons M4 auxiliary road

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has rejected proposals to build a second motorway south of Newport in 2019. Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe

The Welsh Government is stuck with a quirky £22m real estate portfolio after abandoning plans to build a service road at the Severn Bridge.

Mark Drakeford refuses to sell houses bought with taxpayer money to make way for a road despite having vowed never to complete the project.

Dozens of properties previously subject to mandatory purchase to allow the M4 feeder road to be built have been left in limbo since the First Minister of Wales controversially decided in 2019 to cancel the plan, following a Freedom of Information Act request. None of the buildings or lots have been sold since 2019, the labor administration confirmed.

Some 38 properties were bought for £24.6m, according to government documents, and only seven were subsequently sold, fetching £2.1m. #39;don't run a bathroom, let alone sell and resell commercial property.»

Mr Drakeford turned down proposals to build a second motorway south of Newport despite protests from Welsh business leaders.

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The service road was designed to deal with chronic congestion at the entrance to Wales. Companies like Budweiser, which has a large brewery on the road to Newport, have resorted to adapting their supply chains to cope with frequent delays on the highways.

About £150 million has been spent on planning over three decades. for a 14-mile stretch of road that would jump-start the Welsh economy.

However, Mr Drakeford insisted there was no «compelling public interest» reason to build a new motorway, citing environmental concerns. environment when he overturned the decision of the Planning Inspectorate.

New revelations about the failure to sell the properties involved in the project have sparked a new wave of anger.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar said: “Mark Drakeford has canceled the M4 feeder road against the advice of independent experts, the people of South Wales and the manifesto of his parties. The Welsh Labor government literally spent £150 million of taxpayer money on a road to nowhere.

“This is a classic example of an out-of-touch gang of incompetent socialists in Cardiff Bay who, frankly, couldn’t run a bathhouse, didn’t not to mention the sale and resale of commercial real estate.

«We believe that all of these properties should be leased or sold to recover the costs charged to the taxpayer.»

Government spokesman Wales said: “We are working with local authorities to determine whether any properties along the route are suitable for social housing programs. If any property is found uninhabitable, we will consider selling it.”