🚲 edi.bike | issue 147 | 1st June '26

Over a thousand people join to Pedal on Parliament; Voi Hire Stakeholder Workshop; Further delays on ‘Meadows to George Street’; plus events, infrastructure, route closures & more:

https://buttondown.com/edi.bike/archive/issue-147-1st-june-26/

#bikeTooter #biking #cycling #cyclingUK #localNews #edinburgh #ActiveTravel #urbanism #scotland #newsletter

Bike to Bloom and park your bike with us!

Healthy Ireland sponsor our supervised bike parking alongside main entrance 01 to the Bord Bia Bloom festival - from tomorrow til Monday

Cycling to the festival makes so much sense- avoid car congestion, park right beside the entrance -- and meet the lovely folk from Irish Cycling Campaign at the bike park!

#activetravel
#CyclingForChange
https://www.irishcyclingcampaign.ie/irish-cycling-campaign-at-bord-bia-bloom-2026/
https://www.gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/campaigns/healthy-ireland/
https://www.bordbiabloom.com/

BRITON FERRY: Two years on, the Wales Coastal Path closure on the estuary has become a political football — as 20 Labour councillors demand action over sinkholes that nobody will pay to fix

Twenty opposition Welsh Labour councillors from Neath Port Talbot have written to the new Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability demanding urgent action and funding to reopen long-closed sections of the Wales Coastal Path through Baglan, Briton Ferry and Sandfields West — a stretch that has now been fenced off for more than two years over fears of subsidence and sinkhole collapse.

The letter, sent this week to Plaid Cymru MS Llŷr Gruffydd — who took on the newly created rural resilience portfolio when Plaid Cymru formed Wales’s first ever Plaid-led government earlier this month — lands at the heart of a long-running political dispute over who should pay to fix a deteriorating path on land owned by the Welsh Government and maintained, until 2023, by the council.

Campaign led by three local councillors

The campaign for the path’s reinstatement has been led by Cllr Josh Tuck (Baglan), Cllr Gareth Rice (Briton Ferry) and Cllr Rob Wood, whose wards either border or contain the closed section. This week’s letter to the Cabinet Minister has been signed by 17 of their Welsh Labour colleagues from across the borough.

Cllr Rice’s ward of Briton Ferry contains the stretch of path that runs alongside the Briton Ferry estuary — where the original closure was made in April 2023 after the path was deemed too dangerous to use.

Closed since April 2023

According to the council’s own official response to a 2024 enquiry from Aberavon and Maesteg MP Stephen Kinnock, the section was closed in April 2023 because of “subsidence connected to the formation of sinkholes, which unfortunately made the path hazardous to use.”

The same letter, written by NPT’s Head of Planning and Public Protection Ceri Morris, set out a longer history of problems. Repair schemes had been carried out approximately every four years since 2012 to fill or bridge the sinkholes that were continually forming in the area — but those works “did not address the wider problem that is affecting the adjacent land.”

By early 2023, the council said, officers had noticed new cracks opening up along the path. “The Authority considered it had no option other than to close the path on safety grounds,” the letter said.

Walkers were redirected along the cycle route from The Quays Offices, passing through the industrial estate to pick up the Wales Coast Path connection at Purcell Avenue.

Walkers using eroded unofficial route around closure

More than two years on, councillors say walkers are increasingly bypassing the official closure altogether and using an unofficial route through eroded ground alongside the fencing — raising fresh concerns that the closure may be creating new safety risks rather than removing them.

The letter from the 20 councillors describes the closures as “a visible symbol of neglect along a key part of our coastline” and says that despite repeated questions to Neath Port Talbot Council from elected members, no clear timetable has ever been provided for restoration.

March 2024: borehole testing

The council’s 2024 response confirmed that NPT had used Wales Coast Path funding in March 2024 to carry out “an extensive bore hole testing scheme to ascertain the extent of the issues in this area.” Officers were said to be reviewing the final report to ascertain whether the route remains feasible for future use as the Wales Coast Path.

But the council was clear that reopening depends on funding from above. “Whilst it was not the Authority’s intention to permanently close this section of the path, ultimately it comes down to whether funding becomes available from Welsh Government,” Mr Morris wrote.

The official council position has been that NPT itself cannot continue to fund repeated repair schemes indefinitely — and that even if it did, the underlying subsidence affecting the adjacent land would mean the path could only be reopened on a temporary basis without a wider intervention.

A funding dispute the council says rests with Welsh Government

The closure has happened entirely under the current Plaid Cymru-led rainbow coalition, which took control of Neath Port Talbot Council in 2022 — meaning the path has been fenced off for almost the whole of this administration’s time in office.

Council leader Cllr Steve Hunt has previously stated publicly that the path “has nothing at all to do with NPTCBC” because the underlying land is in the ownership of the Welsh Government — placing responsibility for any repair work with whoever forms that government.

David Rees, who served as Welsh Labour MS for Aberavon until losing his seat at the May 2026 Senedd election, said in 2024 that he had been told by NPT that the council needed money from Welsh Government to fix the path, while Welsh Government had stated that the council had already received maintenance funding. “It is unlikely to re-open until this is resolved as the argument of people’s safety will be dominant,” he said at the time. Two years on, his prediction has held: the path remains closed.

“A flagship national asset”

The Wales Coastal Path is an 870-mile route around the entire Welsh coastline, launched in 2012 as the first dedicated long-distance walking route to cover an entire country. It is jointly funded by the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales, with day-to-day maintenance delivered by local authorities. The Welsh Government also owns the adjacent land affected by the subsidence — making it both funder and landowner in the dispute.

The letter from the 20 councillors describes the path as “internationally recognised” and intended to be “a source of pride for Wales” — but says that large sections through Baglan, Briton Ferry and Sandfields West remain “inaccessible, fenced off and deteriorating.”

A cross-party political map

The letter has been copied to all six Members of the Senedd for the new Afan Ogwr Rhondda constituency, which covers the affected communities under the new D’Hondt voting system introduced for the May 2026 election.

Those six MSs are Sera Evans, Alun Cox and Elyn Stephens, all of Plaid Cymru; Benjamin Hodge McKenna and Steve Bayliss, both of Reform UK; and former Welsh Labour cabinet member Huw Irranca-Davies, who was elected Llywydd of the Senedd earlier this month and is now politically impartial.

Cabinet Minister Llŷr Gruffydd, MS for Clwyd, only took on the rural resilience brief on 13 May after First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth appointed his first cabinet. The portfolio includes responsibility for Wales’s outdoor and natural environment infrastructure.

‘We loved watching the birds and wildlife’

Baglan residents Gaynor and Graham, both members of the RSPB, said the loss of the path had stripped local people of a free, accessible community asset.

“The coastal path at Briton Ferry has always been a lovely, easy, flat walk for people of all ages,” they said. “Walkers from Neath and Port Talbot used it, not just residents of Baglan and Briton Ferry. It’s a local asset that’s free to use, and obviously helps people’s fitness, mental health and well-being. Apart from meeting people socially along the way, it really needs to be reinstated.

“For us personally, we loved watching the birds and wildlife as we are both members of the RSPB. In these challenging times it would be great to have somewhere that’s free to enjoy.”

Three areas of damage

The councillors set out three distinct impacts of the closures.

On health and wellbeing, the letter says the closures have cut off vital routes for walking, cycling and daily exercise relied upon by residents for years.

On active travel, the closures have severed key walking and cycling connections between Baglan, Briton Ferry, Sandfields and the wider Swansea Bay coastline.

And on local business and tourism, the councillors say visitors have been diverted away from the area’s seaside businesses, undermining wider Welsh Government ambitions around tourism and outdoor recreation.

“Unacceptable and unworthy”

Calling for a “clear programme for restoration and reopening,” the councillors describe the current position as “unacceptable for local communities and unworthy of a flagship national route such as the Wales Coastal Path.”

“Its continued closure damages confidence in public infrastructure and undermines wider Welsh Government ambitions around tourism, wellbeing and active travel,” the letter states.

The 20 signatories

Alongside Cllr Josh Tuck, Cllr Gareth Rice and Cllr Rob Wood, the letter is signed by Cllr Carol Clement-Williams (Baglan), Cllr Suzanne Paddison (Sandfields West), Cllr Sarah Thomas, Cllr Laura Williams, Cllr Mike Harvey, Cllr Lauren Heard (Neath East), Cllr Stephanie Grimshaw (Aberavon and Baglan Moors), Cllr Saifur Rahaman and Cllr Alan Lockyer (Neath North), together with the Welsh Labour ward councillors for Margam and Taibach and for Port Talbot.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SENEDD ELECTION 2026: Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK historic breakthrough, Welsh Labour reduced to nine seats
The full result of the May 2026 Senedd election and the political map that produced this government.

More news from Baglan
Our latest coverage from across Baglan and the wider Neath Port Talbot area.

Active travel coverage from Swansea Bay News
Our ongoing coverage of walking, cycling and active travel infrastructure across south-west Wales.

🚲 edi.bike | issue 146 | 25th May '26

Pedal on Parliament ✨this Saturday ✨; Edinburgh’s cycling boom; plus events, infrastructure, route closures & more:

https://buttondown.com/edi.bike/archive/issue-146-25th-may-26/

#bikeTooter #biking #cycling #cyclingUK #localNews #edinburgh #ActiveTravel #urbanism #scotland #newsletter

⚠️ 📆 5 DAYS TIL PoP - https://pedalonparliament.org, 11:30am 30th May, Meadows to Holyrood 🎉

CARMARTHENSHIRE: Sixty years after Beeching axed the trains, the railway line between Carmarthen and Llandeilo is open again — for walkers and cyclists

In 1963, Dr Richard Beeching’s axe fell on the railway line running through the Tywi Valley, and the trains stopped running between Carmarthen and Llandeilo for good. More than 60 years later, the trackbed has been given a new life — and on Friday 15 May, more than 70 people gathered at Bremenda Isaf Farm to celebrate the opening of one of the most significant pieces of active travel infrastructure built in Wales in recent memory.

The Tywi Valley Path is 13 miles long, traffic-free and passes through one of the most beautiful river valleys in south Wales. From Friday, it is fully open to walkers, cyclists and families — and if the first year of operation is anything to go by, they will come.

The journey to this point began in earnest in October 2021, when Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced £16.7 million in Levelling Up funding for Carmarthenshire County Council’s vision of a continuous off-road route between the two towns. A public consultation in 2022 asked residents what they thought — and the response was broadly supportive.

The first four-mile section, from Abergwili to Nantgaredig, opened in April 2025 — and immediately proved popular. The final stretch was confirmed for Easter 2026. Now the full route is complete, and the numbers speak for themselves: a Parkrun held on the path recently pulled in more than 200 runners, and a half marathon and walking festival are already planned for the months ahead.

The official opening on Friday was not short on star power. Former professional cyclist and double European junior champion Manon Lloyd rode into the celebration alongside children from Nantgaredig Primary School — a fitting image for a path built to show that cycling in Carmarthenshire is not just for lycra-clad club riders but for everyone.

Lloyd, who competed in major international events including the Women’s Tour of Britain and now presents women’s cycling coverage for TNT Sports, gave the occasion an extra dash of inspiration — and her presence sent a clear message about who the path is for.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales Anna McMorrin and Huw Bryer, Deputy Director for Constitution, Domestic Affairs and Regional Growth, joined Cllr Linda Evans, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, alongside local representatives and the contractors who built the route.

The project was delivered by a largely local supply chain — T Richard Jones Ltd, Tregaron Trading Services, Walters Group, Evan Pritchard Contractors Ltd and the council’s own Highway Services Operational Team — keeping much of that £16.7 million investment within the communities the path now serves.

Cllr Hazel Evans, the council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, described the path as a transformational investment in Carmarthenshire’s future. “It enhances tourism in our beautiful county, creates new opportunities for local businesses, and encourages healthier, more sustainable ways to explore the area,” she said.

Cllr Edward Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services, said the route was about more than active travel. “By linking Carmarthen and Llandeilo through a safe and accessible route, we’re creating a lasting asset that will benefit residents and visitors for generations to come,” he said.

Wales Office Minister Anna McMorrin said the path would be a wonderful resource for residents and visitors alike. “From supporting local businesses through its construction to boosting local tourism, the economic legacy of the route will continue for years to come,” she said.

The Tywi Valley is already one of the most visited landscapes in south-west Wales — home to Dinefwr Castle, the National Botanic Garden of Wales and some of the most photographed countryside in the whole country. The path effectively opens all of that up to people without a car, and to those who simply want to explore it at a slower pace than a car allows.

At 13 miles, the Tywi Valley Path is one of the most significant new walking and cycling routes completed in Wales in recent years. It is also one of the most meaningful outcomes of Levelling Up funding delivered anywhere in south-west Wales — money originally announced under a Conservative government and now celebrated by a Labour one, on a route that has outlasted the political arguments around it.

The path follows a former railway trackbed that has lain largely dormant since the Beeching cuts — decades in which the land sat quietly while the towns it once connected grew further and further apart. That gap is now closed again, not by a train but by a pair of boots or a set of wheels.

For families, commuters, visitors and the communities dotted along the route between Carmarthen and Llandeilo, it is a long time coming — and worth the wait.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

EASTER OPENING: Final stretch of Tywi Valley Path set to welcome walkers and cyclists
Our March 2026 report on the path’s planned Easter opening.

Four mile section of Carmarthen to Llandeilo cycle path opens
The first section of the path opened in April 2025.

Tywi Valley Path project gets £16.7m Levelling Up funding boost
How it all began — the 2021 funding announcement that made the path possible.