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To: Lee Waters Minister for climate change in The Welsh Government.

Install traffic calming measures at our sanctuary, NOW!

Since the sanctuary opened 25 years ago there has always been a problem with traffic. The sanctuary (previously a working farm) is split in to two sides as there is a 60mph road that goes through the middle. The road is a 'U' road, not even a 'B' road! It's a single track lane.

Back then there would be the odd speeding car but now it is worse than it has ever been. The road is treated like a drag strip. Jan & Graham who own the sanctuary have petitioned for traffic calming since the sanctuary was established. It was a paper petition back then with hundreds of signatures but nothing came of it.

We have up to 40,000 visitors every year many of which are children. On a bank holiday we could have up to 700 visitors & because of the amount of people and cars this means that we would put a member of staff, in hi-vis, in the car park, guiding people where to park and slowing traffic going through.

As the sanctuary is split in to two sides, it means that visitors have to cross the road.

I wrote to local councillor David Arnold Thomas in 2019. I wrote to Kirsty Williams (Lib Dem MS) in 2019. Finally, after 9 months of waiting had a speed test (where they put wires on the road) & Powys Council Traffic Officers concluded that 'there is no speeding issue and no reason to take any further action'.

This is not accurate when vehicles purposely slow down to go over the wires!

For the last 3 years I have been uploading CCTV & ANPR footage to GO SAFE & Powys Police, sometimes even Twitter.

Just last year there was a major accident on the main road near the sanctuary. Powys Council directed all traffic (no matter the size!) through the sanctuary. This was nearly 900 vehicles up and down the lane. We had 2 members of our staff in hi-vis & sometimes 4 staff. I even got bumped with the wing mirror of an angry driver.

I have sent countless emails to the area traffic engineer south at Powys Council, who has point blank refused to attend any meeting with us. Fay Jones MP has sent countless emails to Powys on our behalf.

We even had a meeting in Oct 2023 with Powys, a local resident, Ystradgynlais Police, Iain McIntosh Chief of staff to Fay Jones & Go Safe. I produced a PowerPoint presentation and ultimately asked what could be done to the road. Whether that be speed bumps, painting the road, lowering the speed limit, putting up more signs etc. We were told that the road does not qualify!!

At the end of the day, like I have said in my emails, it is just a matter of time before something catastrophic happens. We are responsible for our visitors. We are not responsible for speeding through traffic.

I urge you to do something about the road now.
I have the full support of Fay Jones MP, Go Safe and Ystradgynlais Police.

Thank you in anticipation for taking this matter seriously.

Rosie Nelson
Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary.

Why is this important?

We want visitors to feel safe when they are here at the sanctuary. We don't want them to have to worry about a car driving past them at 60mph. We also have a lot of wheelchair users who should also feel safe when crossing the road.
Caehopkin, Abercrave SA9 1UD, UK

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

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Links

Campaign Facebook Page

Updates

2024-02-25 10:11:59 +0000

Hello Everyone!

We are at a standstill at the moment.

The council have communicated that the road has ALWAYS been a 30mph. Thats a lie.

The council have also communicated that on the 17th September 2023 the road changed to a 30mph. They have also said that the road was reviewed but then exempted from the 20mph limit so changed it to a 30mph road!

Honestly, you cant make it up.
Since we emailed the council asking for a meeting AGAIN (which was refused AGAIN), we told them that ITV were coming. Low and behold, days before ITV turn up, the council put ONE new 30mph sign up down the lane. There is nothing at the top of the lane!

We are still emailing requesting a meeting to talk about this. The council dont seem to understand that we only want the stretch of road at the sanctuary sorted. We just want it safer for you, our visitors.

Thanks for reading, Rosie x

2024-02-06 16:32:56 +0000

Hello Everyone.

ITV Wales came yesterday to film us. You will catch it tonight at 6pm!

We have now heard from the council who now claim that the road was ALWAYS a 30mph! This is not true when the sign was national speed limit. Honestly, Powys have not got a clue.

This feels like a war. We feel victimised by Powys council when all we want to do is protect YOU.

2024-01-28 14:58:10 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for signing and sharing! We are now on just over 1650 signatures. Brilliant.

Still no word from Lee Waters.

Here is a link to Twitter https://x.com/walesape/status/1751617673396449566?s=20

Thanks,, Rosie x

2024-01-24 16:36:49 +0000

Hi All,

Thank you for signing!

Still no communication from Lee Waters or Powys County Council.

Yesterday the Brecon & Radnor Express published an article and in there is a quote from Powys that they intend to add additional repeater signs in 2024 and that the road is a 30. I urge you to read the article, see for yourself that Powys have lied. There is only one speed sign on the lane which is NATIONAL SPEED LIMIT. By the way, one of my last communications from Powys was them telling me that 'repeater signs' are not a requirement by law.

Here is the link:
https://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/news/video-a-matter-of-time-before-something-catastrophic-happens-on-busy-monkey-sanctuary-road-661873

2024-01-22 16:21:29 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for signing and supporting our campaign so far. We aren't too far away from 1200 now!

Still nothing from Lee Waters.

Powys have said that the lane is 30mph. Please see this link where I have been out in the car to take pics of the speed sign- There was only one sign, NATIONAL SPEED LIMIT.

https://x.com/walesape/status/1749459384592195743?s=20

Thanks, Rosie x

2024-01-21 16:04:44 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for signing and getting us this far! We have just gone over 1100, which is brilliant.

Still no response from Lee Waters or Powys Council for that matter. But! We will not give up. Please keep sharing the petition.

Here is another link to our Twitter where you will see a green A.O van zoom past at speed. Keep watching because if a child ran out from the corner on the left, they would not stand a chance. Also bear in mind, these videos were presented to Powys in Oct.

https://twitter.com/walesape/status/1656304292364468228/video/2

Thanks, Rosie x

2024-01-20 11:25:49 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2024-01-19 15:40:00 +0000

Hello to you all,

We have passed 800 signatures & it's creeping up and up. It is so important that we keep sharing and getting people to sign.

Still no communication from Lee Waters MS.

Here is another link to Twitter where I have uploaded a video from earlier this year. You will see me in hi-vis and keep watching the van.

https://twitter.com/walesape/status/1748368401314066451

Thanks again everyone, Rosie x

2024-01-16 16:42:58 +0000

Hello Everyone!

We are close to 600 signatures now - THANK YOU!

Still no response from Lee Waters!

Here is a link to CCTV footage I uploaded to Twitter back in July 2023.
The cars you can see are on one side of the car park but you can clearly see the road and why we are so frustrated with speeding vehicles. Also, you will see that as this car passes, someone is about to come out of the door.

https://twitter.com/walesape/status/1684870122589003776/video/2

Thanks, Rosie x

2024-01-15 22:42:20 +0000

500 signatures reached

2024-01-15 15:03:33 +0000

Thank you to everyone who has signed so far!

We still haven't had a response from Lee Waters MS but lets keep the momentum going & not give up :)

Thanks, Rosie.

2024-01-14 16:23:36 +0000

100 signatures reached

2024-01-14 15:38:10 +0000

50 signatures reached

2024-01-14 15:31:55 +0000

25 signatures reached

2024-01-14 15:27:30 +0000

10 signatures reached