Wrexham Council awarded over £700k to improve local transport routes

Over £700,000 has been awarded to Wrexham Council to help improve transport routes across the county borough.

Last week Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates announced that a pot of £32.9 million had been allocated to help to enhance transport across Wales.

The grants support Welsh Government economic priorities for jobs and growth “promoting economic activity through improved access to employment, encourage active and sustainable travel and connect communities.”

All local authorities in Wales 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.

A further £12.7 million has also been announced, which will create opportunities to make every-day journeys by bike and on foot for many more people – along with 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.

Wrexham Council have received £756,000, which will go towards the schemes listed below:

Our sister site Deeside.com reported that £3.6 million will go to improve public transport and active travel on the B5129/A548 through Flintshire and on to Deeside Industrial Park.

Over £900,000 of that will be used for safer cycling routes through Deeside Industrial Estate while £702,000 will go towards Phase 2 of the Broughton to Saltney cycleway.

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.”

Cllr David A Bithell, lead member for environment and transport, said: “We have carried out a lot of consultation on Active Travel, as well as working with community councils on local projects.

“The council is pleased to have been allocated these funds, which will be used to further develop the network of Active Travel routes across Wrexham.”