. . . started off quietly but from the middle of the month things took off –
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On the 17th, Ted and I met with Christian Schmidt (MCC’s Tarnsport Officer) to review progress and plan our next actions
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On the evening of the 17th the groups met and discussed
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MCC’s plans for investment in Severn Tunnel Junction station and the impact on Magor (station and local community)
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Engagement with businesses and the need for them to write to the minister
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Forthcoming meetings with politicians and government officials
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Engagement with the schools
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Revising the time-frame milestone plan
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The morning of the 18th, saw Ted and I discussing Magor & Undy Walkway station with Assembly Members Mark Reckless and David Rowlands, in their Pontypool office. Both men are firm and long-standing supporters of MAGOR and agreed to follow up with the minister, Ken Skates, to try and get clarity on the status of ‘Magor’.
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On the 25th we attended a meeting, instigated and attended by Jessica Morden MP and John Griffiths AM, at their constituency office, with James Hooker (Welsh Government’s Rail Programme Director) and Sam Hadley (Network Rail). The meeting, also attended by Christian Schmidt, gave us the chance to speak frankly about our concerns that ‘Magor’ wasn’t getting the attention and support it deserved (following the climate emergency declaration and M4 relief road cancellation). James gave us the scope of the soon-to-be started South Wales Mainline Corridor study, understood our concerns and reassured us that ‘Magor’ would be included in that work. At the end of the meeting, James said that the scoping brief would be issued soon and that we could meet again then.
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Also on the 25th, our secretary, Dawn Turner, wrote to the South East Wales Transport Commission (the independent body Welsh Government set up to produce a report of recommendations on how to reduce congestion on the M4) to request that MAGOR be consulted as a stakeholder. We were pleasantly surprised that we received a reply, that same day, offering to meet its Head of Engagement in the next week.
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Consequently, on the 3oth Ted and I met Samantha Thomas (Head of Engagement SEWTC) at Cathays Park. We gave her a potted history of ‘Magor’, why its business case is so strong and our concerns that it doesn’t appear to be being given the attention it deserves – in light of the reasons mentioned above. We felt that Samantha understood our points and recognised our concerns and frustrations. So, it was extremely encouraging for us when she said that MAGOR would be invited, in the next few days, as a stakeholder to one of three workshops being planned for coming weeks.
So, after a quiet start, we finished the month on a high!
More news next month but in the meantime don’t forget to put the 7th December in your diary to meet us on our stall at the Frost Fayre.
Paul
