Work set to begin on landslip-hit Brecon Beacons road

The landslip caused a vertical drop to open up immediately next to the road, known as the Neuadd Straight, between Llanthony and Cwmyoy, in Monmouthshire, just over the border with Powys. The road was closed on January 30.

Monmouthshire County Council said the affected road would be closed until it could deliver a “safe, engineered solution”, and warned that further movement was likely to happen underneath it.

Since the closure, local famers and contractors have been left concerned for their livestock and business, as diversion routes have added hours on to journey times, with one local saying the closure has affected around 150 residents in the community.

The diversion includes a single-track route on Wales' highest mountain road, the Gospel Pass, with some simply unable to use it, including agricultural suppliers whose vehicles are too large.

Monmouthshire County Council confirmed on Tuesday (March 31) that it has agreed the next steps to deliver a permanent solution to the landslip at Neuadd Straight.

“Following the road closure on January 30, the council will soon enter a contract with its preferred contractor, Griffiths, allowing construction work to commence on April 7,” said the council, in a statement provided on a public information board on its website, which was set up specifically due to the landslip.

The landslip caused a vertical drop to open up immediately next to the road, known as (Image: Supplied)

“The council can confirm that it has agreed to acquire the necessary land and enter into a legal agreement with the landowner to begin work on restoring access for residents through the valley.

“The work aims to provide a safe, sustainable, long-term solution. The project is expected to be completed by May 15, depending on weather conditions and site constraints.”

A council spokesperson said: “Monmouthshire County Council recognises the disruption caused by the ongoing road closure and the impact this has had on the local community.

“The council is continuing to work closely with residents, businesses and key stakeholders to minimise disruption during the construction period and to manage the impacts of the road closure while works are underway.”

Since the road closed, a journey by car to nearby Abergavenny has increased to about an hour and 15 minutes, according to Google Maps, when previously it would have taken around 30 minutes.

Monmouthshire MP Catherine Fookes visited Llanthony in March and said: “The four-hour journey there and back (on the highest mountain path in South Wales) showed me in real time just how difficult the situation currently is.”

Farmer Mark Morgan, who lives in Llanthony, close to the Powys border, previously told the BBC that journeys via the diversion were taking much longer than mapping systems suggested.

Bryony Gittins, another local farmer, said the landslip had left 850 of her sheep at risk – during the crucial lambing period.

The Gospel Pass and the villages of Llanthony and Cwmyoy sit in the Brecon Beacons. (Image: Supplied)

Monmouthshire County Council said specialist geotechnical engineers had inspected the site and advised, due to “continued deterioration”, the road must remain closed because of a serious risk to public safety.

It said some members of the public had moved the concrete barriers and signage and have continued to use the road, and it is urging people not to ignore the closure.

Visit https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/r1-cwmyoy-landslip/ for all the latest news.