NCC has a golden opportunity to set a precedent here and follow for example  the lead  taken by the Welsh Government.   You will be aware that  plans for a £1.4bn relief road to ease congestion on the M4 motorway was recently scrapped.  The Welsh Government could not justify the cost  and expressed concerns about its effect on the environment.   The First Minister  attached “greater weight” to the effects that the road would have on the environment.  He said : “In particular, I attach very significant weight to the fact that the project would have a substantial adverse impact on the Gwent Levels SSSIs and their green network and wildlife, and on other species, and a permanent adverse impact on the historic landscape of the Gwent Levels," he added.