A465: Social assessment of road improvement schemes

Start date: April 2017
End date: March 2018
Funder: Welsh Government
Value: £90,000
Primary investigator: 00982043
Co-investigators: Dr Ian Philips

Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses, this project is the first of its kind in the UK to identify the social impacts on the local community arising from a road improvement scheme.

The Welsh Government is widening the entire length of the A465 in South Wales to dual carriageway standard. The A465, or Heads of the Valleys road, is a key corridor and international gateway for the South Wales economy connecting the M4 at Neath to Abergavenny and Hereford. It provides a strategic link between West Wales and the Midlands, and also links up the northern valleys, supporting regeneration in the local communities. The focus of this social assessment study is Section 3 of the A465, between Brynmawr and Tredegar. The section contains a stretch of replacement road on a new alignment along which several low-income communities are located.

Impact

Our study is the first of its kind in the UK. We have undertaken quantitative and qualitative analyses (including video) to identify the local social impacts arising from the Scheme after opening in summer 2015. The study is designed to act as an exemplar for future evaluations of the social impacts of road projects in Wales and will also be used to feed in evidence to the development of WelTAG.

Publications and outputs

Final Summary Report
Focus Group Report
Social Assessment Report
Technical Annex
Methodological Annex