WIREDGOV

Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates has announced a pot of £32.9 million to improve transport across Wales.

The allocation of local authority grants will help fund schemes which support the Welsh Government’s economic priorities for jobs and growth, promote economic activity through improved access to employment, encourage active and sustainable travel and connect communities.

All local authorities were invited to submit applications for funding and over 100 applications were received.

The Local Transport Fund of £28.8 million will assist 52 schemes across 21 local authorities and the Local Transport Network Fund of £4.1 million will support 14 schemes across 12 local authorities.

The grants include over £20 million to improve integrated public transport. This includes £3.6 million to begin construction of the new bus interchange in Merthyr Tydfil.

In north Wales, £3.6 million will go to improve public transport and active travel on the B5129/A548 through Flintshire and on to Deeside Industrial Park, while more than £3 million will benefit local authorities across mid and south west Wales to enhance public transport corridors and interchange.

Speaking at a visit to the Deeside Industrial Park where he had gone to see some of the improvements being carried out, Transport Minister Ken Skates said:

These grants are a substantial investment to support sustainable local economic growth, enhance public transport facilities, create and improve routes that will encourage more people in Wales to walk and cycle.

The successful projects, such as this in Deeside, are prime examples of the practical solutions we have asked the local authorities to design in order to make it easier for residents to connect with their places of employment and businesses, and to do so more sustainably.

This investment in local transport schemes further boosts the grants announced by the Deputy Minister Lee Waters last week.

These included the allocation £19 million from the Active Travel Fund, and £10.9 million for the creation of Safe Routes in Communities and road safety schemes.

We publish the schemes benefiting from £12.7 million, which will create opportunities to make every-day journeys by bike and on foot for many more people, and the share each local authority will receive from the £6.3 million to undertake design and feasibility work and fund minor improvements on their networks.

A full list of successful schemes by local authority.