Minister: “Our enthusiasm for Wrexham Gateway project is unquestionable”

Welsh Government say they remain ‘very focused on delivering the project in its entirety’ when questioned about the Wrexham Gateway project.

Wrexham’s MS Lesley Griffiths, now a backbencher in the Senedd since the change of First Minister and recent reshuffles, called on Welsh Government to give a firm commitment to the Gateway project after ‘very few’ updates.

In response to the question, Economy Minister Rebecca Evans MS said, “The Welsh Government is aligned with key partners in Wrexham to deliver this exciting project along Mold Road. Our shared ambitions of delivering an integrated public transport and active travel system and facilitating competitive international football in the north remain at the core of our involvement in the project.”

Lesley Griffiths then went on to probe further, “Thank you very much. That’s really good to hear. The Wrexham Gateway project is something I’ve long supported because I do believe it could be truly transformational for our city. Working with local partners back in 2021, the Welsh Government invested £25 million, and the aim of the scheme was to regenerate the Mold Road area, as you referred to. It’s absolutely a key corridor into Wrexham.

“Despite the significant setback in January 2023, when the Conservative UK Government, for a second time, rejected Wrexham’s bid for levelling-up funding, the partnership adapted its plans to focus more on the western side of the scheme, as there was more of an opportunity in the immediate time to deliver tangible evidence of progress along the Mold Road.

“Frustratingly, there have been bumps in the road—for example, Wrexham AFC have had to delay the construction of a new Kop stand. And then we had a consultation, which was initiated by Transport for Wales, that finished at the end of the last year. But since that time, we’ve had very few updates. So, I’m grateful for the support of the Welsh Government.

(Historic articles : Consultation quietly launched for Wrexham Gateway regeneration and transport hub scheme / Wrexham Gateway ‘Levelling Up’ bid rejected again – time for ‘Plan B’ on Kop says club)

Griffiths asked for a firm commitment, as well as some timelines, “I would like you to confirm your commitment to deliver this game-changing regeneration project in full, and I wonder if you could provide a timescale.

The Minister provided the first, but would only reiterate old Kop timelines rather than any real fresh update, “I’d be absolutely more than happy to reaffirm the Welsh Government’s commitment to the project, and of course to recognise Lesley Griffiths’s long-standing championing of this as well. Our enthusiasm for this is unquestionable.

“We do know that Wrexham AFC has explained that its intention is to have the stadium, including the new pitch and Kop stand, ready for the UEFA under-19 championships in the summer of 2026, with north Wales hosting this competition in the Football Association of Wales’s one hundred and fiftieth anniversary year. So, it should be quite an event. The timeline is entirely feasible, we think, and we’re more than happy to continue working alongisde partners to that important goal. I do know that the delay was on the basis of wanting to create a facility that is there for the commuinty all year round, which I think is also really, really positive.

“More widely, the Wrexham Gateway project does continue at pace, with the functionality of the public transport interchange at Wrexham General station defined, and negotiations for delivery on the city centre side of the rail line are ongoing. It is difficult to be specific about the timing at this point, but the partnership in Wrexham does still remain very focused on delivering the project in its entirety.”

Mark Isherwood MS followed with a related point and question to the Minister, “It’s my understanding from Wrexham council of good news that the Wrexham Gateway project should be secure, partly because of Welsh Government funding, partly because of the shared prosperity funding, which Wrexham did receive—almost £23 million out of over £126 million received in north Wales—and because this is a priority project for the north Wales growth deal and the ambition board.

“Hopefully, you can confirm that your understanding is also that this project is secure.

“But there is concern that the £20 million town fund allocation to Wrexham could be scrapped by the new UK Government, alongside that for Merthyr Tydfil, Cwmbran and Barry, and the £20 million announced by the previous UK Government for Rhyl, under it’s long-term plan for towns, and the £160 million announced for the north-east Wales investment zone. So, I wonder if you can confirm what representations you’re making to colleagues in the UK Government to secure those projects, which mean so much to the organisations, businesses, councils and others involved with them in the region of north Wales.”

(Historic article: Wrexham Gateway Project in line for £4.79m boost after North Wales Growth Deal bid gets support)

The Minister replied, “I begin by reiterating that we are very focused on delivering the project in its entirety, and critical to that is the £25 million that the Welsh Government was able to provide back in March 2021, which enables the project to move forward.

“In terms of the town fund, I think that we all recognise that the funding that was announced by the UK Government is part of the black hole which is there at the moment, because there was never any real money attached to that. That said, it is important to recognise that this is an issue which I’ve brought up with Wales Office Ministers already, and my colleagues are also raising it with counterparts in the UK Government ahead of the UK Government’s autumn budget, which will be at the end of October, and I would expect it would be at that point when we will get the clarity that I know all colleagues are after.”