LLANWRTYD Wells residents have been told the town will only be free of long-standing traffic lights and the main road fully re-opened when it is safe to do so.

It has been a quiet period across the nation during the Welsh Government-ordered ‘firebreak’ lockdown which lifted on Monday, but residents in Britain’s smallest town were determined to enter it wanting to be heard loudly after holding a protest over traffic lights that have been in place for almost a year.

The lights were set up on the busiest point of the A483 that passes through the town – on the town square by the Premier shop – on the very first day of 2020 following a road traffic collision.

They remain there 11 months later and residents have been told to expect them to still be there on the first day of 2021 too.

A speeding car crashed into the Premier shop, causing substantial damage to the building and leaving visible cracks in it from the roof to the ground.

Around 30 people gathered for the protest, which was held at 5.30pm on Friday, October 23, half an hour before Wales was plunged into the 17-day lockdown which ended earlier this week.

Mayor Linda Pace-Avery said residents fully understand the seriousness of the damage to the shop and the need for traffic lights to be in place, but she feels as if their concerns are being completely ignored.

“We just wanted to draw attention to the length of time the lights have been there,” said Councillor Pace-Avery.

“There’s just no time scale for it, originally we were told work would start by September but we have since been told it’ll be January.”

The lights are costing £400 a week to maintain, estimating the total cost of the lights so far to be at £18,400.

The town council has written to Brecon and Radnorshire MP Fay Jones, MS Kirsty Williams, Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llewellyn and Dyfed Powys Police, as well as transport minister Ken Skates.

“We’ve written to Ken Skates multiple times – we had hoped to embarrass people around a table for a discussion,” added Mrs Pace-Avery.

“Businesses have suffered due to Covid like everyone else and all our many events we hold in the town throughout the year have had to be cancelled and the lights just felt like adding insult to injury.”

Residents are also concerned about the number of near misses observed by motorists taking chances at the lights, especially now with the dark winter nights drawing in, as well as not being able use the Premier shop, due to become a Nissa Coop, which is the main grocery shop in town – with

Coop stores in neighbouring Builth Wells and Llandovery more than 15 minutes’ drive and Tesco in Llandrindod Wells almost half an hour away.

The mayor added: “I understand that the owners have pressures but I don’t understand why the front couldn’t be taken down.

“The shop is due to become a Coop, which will be a welcome addition to the town's amenities, but in its current state, the dilapidated building is a real eyesore right in the centre of town.

“There’s a crack in the building and it’s getting bigger, due to the fact lots of logging lorries come through the town. It’s a busy road and it’s more of a concern now with the nights getting darker.”

As for the protest, Mrs Pace-Avery said the broad range of people who showed up proves people want action.

She added: “We had around 25 people turn up, including deputy mayor Amanda Edwards, county councillor Tim Van Rees, there was a cross section of the community there which was nice, it wasn’t just town council members.

“The vicar was there, local landowners. People are interested in the issue and fed up of the lights.”

A Traffic Wales spokesperson said: “Temporary traffic signals were installed following a road traffic collision that destabilised a privately owned building adjacent to the A483.

“Works are continuing on the building and we will fully re-open the road as soon as it is safe to do so.”