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>> How A494 battle was won
>> What next for Flintshire's A494?

Phil Jones, of Garden City, is one of the former 27 tenants who lived in Welsh Assembly-owned properties in Aston Mead and Hillfield Road, near the site of the proposed widening of the A494 into a new seven-lane super highway.

All of the properties in Aston Mead were made the subject of a compulsory purchase order, and Mr Jones fought a long battle with the Welsh Assembly to be able to stay in his home until he was able to find suitable alternative accommodation, after previously being offered "unsuitable" placements.

He received solicitors' letters informing him that legal action would be taken by the Welsh Assembly to gain possession of the property, which Mr Jones was originally told he had to leave in September last year.

Mr Jones accepted an offer of alternative accommodation made by Flintshire Council in November, but was told by the Welsh Assembly that he would still need to attend court in December.

He was ordered to pay the legal costs of the Welsh Assembly, a total of £2,200, which was taken from his home loss compensation payment.

Mr Jones yesterday spoke of his disbelief, after the proposals were sensationally scrapped in a statement by Wales' Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones yesterday, following recommendations by planning inspector Neil Taylor, who said that the scheme was too large scale for the area.

He said: "It was obvious that there were fundamental problems with the scheme all along, so all of this messing about, upset, stress and antagonism has been completely pointless.

"I am settled now in my new home, but I have suffered so much stress and have been taken to court for absolutely nothing. I have had my say all along, but it has all been a waste of time.

"It has cost the public a huge amount of money to secure the now empty houses at Aston Mead and has cost the council money in relocating all of the tenants. It beggars belief. I just cannot believe that the Welsh Assembly has done this.

"I am glad the proposals have been scrapped and it is nice to see that they have done the right thing in the end, but we were evicted from our homes for no reason and it is just too little, too late.

"I am absolutely staggered by this decision and I feel that the way the Welsh Assembly went about the process was completely wrong."

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