PEMBROKESHIRE County Council has been defending its decision over the route of a proposed bypass for Maidenwells, near Pembroke.

Of the four options considered, the authority chose the cheapest, even though it wasn’t the one favoured by local residents.

As reported in last week’s Western Telegraph, some householders feel the adopted option one - which the council is now calling a relief road - would ‘slice the village in two’.

However, the council’s deputy leader, Councillor John Allen-Mirehouse, says the scheme is ‘streets ahead of the others’ in terms of cost, land usage and general environmental disturbance.

He also claims the A477 already slices Maidenwells in two and the proposed relief road would cut through the village just once.

Commenting on the locally-favoured option three, Councillor Allen-Mirehouse said it was twice as long, it would cost twice as much, and it would be unlikely to get Welsh Assembly backing.

So it was ‘this one or nothing’, he said.

The deputy leader also confirmed that a cost benefit analysis had shown option one was the best value for money.

“This is not the perfect solution, but we want everyone to come out happy and the proposed route is marvellous for almost everybody in Maidenwells.”

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