THE NORTH Wales Wildlife Trust says it is 'very pleased' after its campaign to stamp out the 'red route' plan for Flintshire proved successful.

The future of more than 50 road improvement projects became clear on Tuesday, February 14, after the delayed review commissioned by the Welsh Government was published.

The projects had been paused by the deputy minister for climate change, Lee Waters, when he set up the Welsh Roads Review Panel led by transport expert Dr Lynn Sloman in September 2021 to examine the case for continuing with them.

Among those scrapped was the 'red route' - which would have seen a new eight-mile stretch of dual carriageway linking the A55 at Northop with the A494 and A550 north of Deeside Parkway Junction via the Flintshire Bridge.

It included other improvements and modifications, such as upgrading the A548 over Flintshire Bridge between Connah's Quay and the Wirral. 

READ MORE: Welsh Government scrap A483 junction upgrade plan for Wrexham

The decision left Deeside politicians 'at a loss for words'.

But one group left pleased by the announcement was the North Wales Wildlife Trust who, in 2020, set up a campaign against the red route.

Back then, 15 organisations joined forces with local residents and politicians to call on the Welsh Government to scrap plans for what they called the "climate threatening" four-lane highway through ancient woodland and farmland that would have also included parkland and wildflower meadows.

The campaign claimed that the red route scheme contradicts the Welsh Government's commitment to a reduction to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in just 30 years’ time, and also cited the spiralling costs of the scheme which had jumped to £300million in 2019.

Following the decision from the Welsh Government, Adrian Lloyd Jones of the North Wales Wildlife Trust, said: "We are very pleased that the Welsh Government has supported the Road Review Panel’s recommendation to scrap the red route in Flintshire in North Wales.

"The proposed 13km new highway would have sliced through the countryside, causing irreparable harm to ancient woodland, hedgerows, wildflower meadows and other habitats, as well as the species they support.

"We hope this will bring an end to speculation about this scheme and that everyone, whatever their view on the old red route idea, will get fully behind the alternatives. We’re very grateful to the Stamp Out The Red Route local action group and everyone who joined our campaign.”