Inside pristine car park that nobody uses built next to major motorway – with 100s of bays & even EV charging station
THIS pristine car park with hundreds of bays and an EV charging station has never been used, despite being built just off a major motorway.
The untouched site also serves a busy train station but sits empty after a costly project cancellation.
The car park has actually been open for several years, but you wouldn’t know it as almost no cars have found their way in.
It features a whopping 172 purpose-built bays, plus a cluster of 10 spaces for EV charging.
Pressed between the M4 and M48, the site is found near the town of Caldicot, Wales.
It’s within a short drive of major cities including Cardiff, Newport and Bristol but is near-abandoned.
This comes down to the cancellation of the M4 relief road in 2019 by then-First Minister Mark Drakeford.
The new route had been due to ease the significant congestion that builds up daily on the M4 and millions had already been spent on the plans.
However, Mr Drakeford agreed with environmental campaigners that it would damage the nearby Gwent Wetlands and harm biodiversity.
As a result, the only way to get to the car park is for drivers headed to or from the motorway to go through the small village of Rogiet.
This route would take motorists down narrow residential roads at rush hour.
And if you were hoping to use public transport from Severn Tunnel Junction station rather than the M4, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the tracks to go into Cardiff and Newport.
Even once you get onto the platform, plenty of trains don’t stop at the station, with gaps of 45 minutes between trains.
Locals of the village are also concerned about the impact of the extra traffic that would move through the area if the car park were used.
Sebastian McVicker-Orringe, vice-chair of Rogiet Community Council, told WalesOnline that the traffic would make the area “manifestly unsafe for pedestrians”.
All in all, then, it appears that the car park is set to remain largely disused for the foreseeable future, while congestion continues to blight commuters on the M4.
A Welsh Government spokesperson told WalesOnline: “We are moving forward with the recommendations made by Lord Burns to improve transport in southeast Wales, including securing funding to complete the next stage of enhancing the South Wales Mainline and building new and improved stations on it.
“These improvements are helping to encourage more people to make the switch from car to rail but as with any change this will take time.”
SunMotors has approached the Welsh Government for comment.
