Neath Port Talbot Council has been awarded nearly £5.7 million through the Local Authority Transport Grants for 2025–26. This includes £990,000 for the Neath to Cimla Active Travel Route, £730,000 for carriageway improvements in Cymmer, £440,000 for the Neath Integrated Transport Hub, and £1.6 million for drainage improvements on Fabian Way. Further funding has been awarded for a range of road safety and training initiatives.
However, critics say that none of this funding has been directed towards the Swansea Valley, despite the area facing serious transport and economic challenges. While investment has been concentrated in Neath and Port Talbot – areas already benefitting from stronger transport links, including rail connectivity – the Swansea Valley, which has no direct rail services and limited infrastructure, has once again been left behind.
Although approximately £800,000 has been allocated for wider Active Travel and road safety schemes, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have argued that this does little to address the urgent need for meaningful infrastructure investment in the Swansea Valley.
David Chadwick MP (Brecon, Radnor, and Cwm Tawe) has called on the Welsh Labour Government to urgently rethink its priorities and deliver real investment to communities that have been consistently overlooked, warning that continued neglect of former industrial areas like the Swansea Valley will only deepen regional inequalities.
David Chadwick MP said: “Once again, the Welsh Labour Government have forgotten the Swansea Valley.”
“None of the almost £5 million awarded to Neath Port Talbot for transport projects has been earmarked for the Swansea Valley, an area with already inadequate transport links.”
“Although a small amount of funding has been allocated to wider initiatives such as ‘pedestrian training’, this does not come close to addressing the lack of serious investment in the Swansea Valley.”
“The people of Swansea Valley deserve more than being an afterthought. Over and over, the Welsh Labour Government promise fair funding across Wales. Yet the money flows straight to already well-connected areas with established transport and rail links, while communities like those in the Swansea Valley are left behind.”
“The Government must stop neglecting the Swansea Valley and commit to a fair and consistent transport strategy.”
