Transport planning across South Wales.
Transport planning for schemes across South Wales, from city sites in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea to towns along the M4 corridor.
Local councils
each the planning and highway authority
Welsh Government
trunk roads including the M4 and A465
Planning Policy Wales
and Technical Advice Note 18
How schemes in South Wales get decided.
Who decides
Each council is both the planning authority and the highway authority for local roads. Planning Policy Wales and Technical Advice Note 18 put walking, cycling and public transport first, and the evidence needs to show how a scheme supports that.
What shapes schemes here
South Wales runs from Monmouthshire to Swansea Bay, with the M4 along the coast, the cities of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea, and the South Wales Metro taking shape.
Roads, rail and buses
The main roads are the M4, A48, A465 and A470. There’s a railway station, so the walking and cycling route to it counts for a lot in any application. Trunk roads such as the M4, A465 and A470 are the Welsh Government’s, managed through the South Wales Trunk Road Agent. Where a scheme affects them, they need to agree the evidence too.
Questions we get asked
Which areas do you cover nearby?
We also cover Caerphilly, Pontypridd and Stroud, and sites in between.
Does the 20mph default speed limit affect my access design?
It can. Most restricted roads in Wales became 20mph in 2023, and some have since gone back to 30mph after review. Visibility should reflect the speeds traffic actually travels, so a speed survey often pays for itself.
Also working around South Wales.
From our insights.
What does your South Wales site need?
Send us the location. We'll tell you what the council is likely to ask for, with a fixed fee.