A MAJOR landslide has cut off a main road in and out of a village leaving animals “facing starvation”.
Furious villagers have been left “trapped” and said they have no idea when the road will be fixed.
The significant slip caused a vertical drop immediately next to a road in January and since then the ground has remained unstable.
Villagers said they feel “frustrated” as they have not been given a timescale for when the road could be fixed.
Farmers have also said they fear livestock could die of starvation due to the road becoming inaccessible.
The only diversion includes a single track route on Wales‘ highest road – named Gospel Pass – which locals said adds hours to journeys and is dangerous to use.
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Gospel Pass is unsuitable for large vehicles and farmers said this makes it impossible to bring in food for animals.
The landslip happened below the R1 between Cwmyoy and Llanthony in Monmouthshire, Wales.
Monmouthshire Council confirmed the road remains “extremely unsafe”.
Farmer Bryony Gittins, 44, said up to 150 people have been affected in the community.
She said villagers feel “trapped” by the landslide, which is also having a huge negative impact on the local economy.
“That ranges from people who need to get out to get to their jobs, there’s tourism businesses that are struggling to grow healthy, people with medical conditions that need weekly appointments – the social and economical implications are just huge,” Bryony added.
“Initially there was quite a lot of panic, in the week we then had a lot of snow and people were incredulous that the pass was the only way out.
“There’s an element of feeling frustrated – it doesn’t feel like anything is happening fairly quickly.”
She said locals have been told the slip “is not an emergency repair” which is why they do not know when it might be fixed.
“We’ve been given no time frame of when repairs are going to happen.
“I don’t know if it will be next week or in six weeks.”
Bryony said she has pregnant ewes which are due to start lambing on April 1 and is concerned on how to manage sheep food coming in due to the reliance on heavy agricultural vehicles.
There is over ten farmers that have been affected in the village, Bryony explained.
She said: “Their nutritional needs are higher now – or it runs a risk of the lambs not growing properly.
“Not only will the lambs potentially not grow, born too week, or possibly not even be born, but the sheep themselves will struggle as well.
She added: “All the farmers will need larger agricultural vehicles to travel in and out to feed their animals.
“There are farmers that have cows that are starting to calve, vets can’t come quickly to help out.
“If agriculture vehicles can’t come in, then the sheep have nothing to eat.”
Since the road closed, a journey by car to the nearest town Abergavenny has increased to about an hour and 30 minutes when previously it would have taken around 20 minutes.
But with a trailer and with more cars driving that way it can take up to two hours.
Bryony continued: “If the weather is not good then it’s not suitable, especially for larger vehicles which can’t get there.
“There have been a few residents in the valley who have needed to have medical attention and have had to get out.”
Farmer Mark Morgan, 59, said he needs to take sheep to the market but he is “reluctant” to make the journey through the mountain as it would take at least two hours with the trailer.
A resident of Llanthony, he said: “The immediate problem is the welfare of animals who are short of feed.
“There’s the potential that animals are at risk of starving, but we would find a way to avoid that and to bring food home.
“I know from other farmers that the vets are struggling to get through – it’s such a long drive through the mountains.”
He said that driving through the Gospel Pass is an “adventure” and something to do if you are a tourist.
Mark continued: “If you are doing it twice a day it is something that you don’t take lightly.
“We are not talking about a detour around some narrow roads – it’s a proper serious mountain road, unless you know it then it’s hard to appreciate quite what that road represents.”
Mark said he wants there to be a a timescale “as quick as possible”.
He added: “We find ways of coping but the council are not communicating and not saying when it will be done.
“All we want is a timescale and surely that’s not too much to ask given the situation.
“With the summer approaching you can have 500 visitors in a weekend visiting and with the road conditions like this is not helping.”
Monmouthshire Council has set up a dedicated webpage to update people on the situation.
It said: “Because the slip has formed a vertical edge immediately next to the carriageway, any further movement is likely to happen under the road surface.
“The tarmac may conceal signs of collapse until the moment failure occurs.
“For this reason, the road remains extremely unsafe.
“Some members of the public have moved the concrete barriers and signage and have continued to use the road.
“A legally enforceable emergency closure is in place. MCC strongly urges the public not to ignore the closure.
“Barriers will continue to be reinstated, but repeated tampering is costly and dangerous.
“MCC is working with relevant departments and partner organisations to coordinate appropriate measures for essential services including emergency access, school transport, refuse collection, and other key provisions.
“The road will remain closed until a safe, engineered solution can be designed and delivered. MCC has now initiated the required investigation, monitoring, and design work.”
The Sun has contacted Monmouthshire Council for comment.
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