Son halts road in poet's garden

RS Thomas' poetry was regarded as the best of its time

The son of poet RS Thomas has stopped plans to build a new road through countryside which inspired his father after an eleventh hour intervention.

Work on the access road near the poet's former home in Rhiw on the Llyn Peninsula, north Wales was due to start in the spring of 2004.

However, work has been postponed after an objection was lodged by the poet's son Gwydion Thomas and a public inquiry will take place.

Many villagers are furious because they desperately want the road to be reopened after a landslip three years ago made it too dangerous to to travel on.

Gwydion Thomas now rents his father's former 17th Century house Plas Yn Rhiw from the National Trust.

The proposed road would cut through the centre of woodland nearby, also owned by the National Trust.

The village is absolutely livid about the delay. Emlyn Jones, a resident of Rhiw

Mr Thomas told the BBC last year he was opposed to the plans because the area was part of Wales' cultural heritage.

"My parents would turn in their graves at this type of proposal," he said.

"Can you imagine an application to build a marina at Laugharne, Dylan Thomas' village, being approved?"

Gwynedd Council gave the road planning permission in November 2002 and were supported by the National Trust.

Both the assembly and the council were unable to comment on what grounds Mr Thomas had objected. He was unavailable for comment on Thursday.

Villager Emlyn Jones said: "All the village is absolutely livid about the delay.

The road to Rhiw has been closed for three years

"It's already been closed for three years and this public inquiry is going to delay things by about two years."

Another resident, Nesta Roberts, said: "I think you'd be hard put to find anybody in favour of this objection."

She said drivers were now faced with a choice of a six or ten mile detour which can add on as much as 45 minutes to a journey.

Councillor Dafydd Iwan, Gwynedd Council's lead member for highways and environmental issues said: "This is wholly unjust.

"The residents of Rhiw are denied a much needed road because of one statutory objection."

RS Thomas, who died three years ago, was regarded as one of the finest poets of the 20th Century.