Ditch-plunging cars raise concerns near wildlife reserve

Cars crashing into drainage ditches in the Newport wetlands have led to road safety warnings from residents.

They have described long-standing issues involving vehicles plunging into the ditches at Goldcliff, on the Gwent Levels.

Known as reens, they are designed to help manage water levels in low-lying wetland areas.

The latest incident involved a Mazda which had to be recovered on 12 March after becoming submerged.

Gwent Recovery Towing Service owner, Grant Richard Laidlaw, said the car had spun 180 degrees before going into the water backwards.

Newport council said its £6.6m road programme included surface treatment of Goldcliff Road from the junction Goldcliff Common to Chapel Road.

Laidlaw, 32, said the lanes were "little" and "it can be slippery" for drivers.

He has already been forced to drag five or six cars from the ditches and urged people to be careful.

"Sometimes there is muck on the road," he said.

"The [people in the cars] are usually a bit shaken up, sometimes they leave them [their cars] until the next day", he added.

Lauren Eleanor Harrhy, said she'd experienced drivers ending up in the reens ever since she moved to the area in 2010.

She said they include young people bringing their cars to the lanes to race, because it's quiet.

The 40 year-old dentist said she doesn't let her three children out on their bikes on the lane, which is near where they live.

"There are no pavements and lots of awkward corners in the area," she said.

Her eldest daughter "isn't far away from taking her driving test" and worries about her driving on the road alongside the reens in the future.

"The road markings aren't clear and maintained, there are potholes everywhere at the moment", she added.

She believes signs warning of the dangers and more lighting could make a difference to road safety.

But she's unsure that barriers to prevent cars crashing into the reens would be appropriate because it's close to the Newport Wetlands wildlife reserve.

The Goldcliff Lagoons are made up of three water bodies which are a crucial habitat for the breeding of wild birds and rare species, including the Shrill Carder Bee.

Newport council was approached for comment and referred to its announcement of a major road maintenance programme in June 2025. The £6.6m programme included surface treatment of Goldcliff Road, from the junction of Goldcliff Common to Chapel Road.