£413k of Active Travel funding approved for Wrexham – including A483 junction improvements

Wrexham Council has been awarded £413,000 of funding to carry out Active Travel projects across the county borough.

The funding will see long stand plans move forward to improve Active Travel at Heritage Way, Brymbo Link Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate and Mold Road Corridor and A483 junction improvements at junction 4 (Ruthin Road) and Junction 5 (Mold Road).

The purpose of the Active Travel Fund is to increase levels of ‘active travel’, improve health and well-being, improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, connect communities and improve active travel access to employment, education and key services, destinations and public transport.

Wrexham Council had announced they had a £3m wishlist for the Active Travel fund. At the time Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard and Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr David A Bithell, said: “It’s a long list and we acknowledge that not all the schemes will be given the go ahead by Welsh Government but it is an indication of just what we want to achieve and the more money we are allocated the more we will be able accomplish here in Wrexham.”

The Council say currently only 10 per cent of journeys to work by Wrexham residents are undertaken by active travel modes (nine per cent on foot and one per cent by cycles) which is lower than the national average.

On the £413k award Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “This is excellent news and I would like to thank the Welsh Government for their support with the Active Travel funding and to our staff for their hard work in preparing such a successful bid.

“We want to see more people leaving their cars at home and walking and cycling and Active Travel is key to moving this forward.

“There’s a lot of work to do but it’s very encouraging that we can now continue some of these major improvements progressing in Wrexham.”