£413k of Active Travel funding for Wrexham welcomed by local Members of the Senedd

The Members of the Senedd for Wrexham and Clwyd South have welcomed funding to improve active travel routes and road safety in the county borough.

Grants totalling £38m were recently announced by Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, for active travel and road safety schemes throughout Wales.

Wrexham Council has been awarded £413,000 to improve cycling and walking routes on the A483 at Junction 4 (Ruthin Road) and Junction 5 (Mold Road), as well as Heritage Way, the Brymbo link road. In addition, the funding will help develop safer routes around Wrexham Industrial Estate and the Mold Road corridor.

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.”

Wrexham MS Lesley Griffiths said: “Together with the £15.4m funding confirmed in June to reallocate road space and create safe conditions for walking, cycling and public transport users in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the grants represent the largest ever investment in local active travel improvements in Wales.

“The A483 junctions are on the border of my constituency and Ken’s and are used by a lot of local people, so I’m delighted the Welsh Labour Government has provided this new funding to the council.

“More people than ever before are walking and cycling to work, or to visit friends or go to the shops. However, as coronavirus restrictions ease and our roads become busier again, it’s vital they remain walking and cycle-friendly if the Welsh Government’s long-term vision to change to our travel habits is to succeed.”

Wrexham Council has been given an additional £178,000 for safety works on the A525 between Cross Lanes and Redbrook Maelor in Mr Skates’ Clwyd South constituency. The scheme will allow for the upgrading and installation of new signage along the road, new surface treatments, carriageway lining and vehicle-activated signage.

“Constituents have regularly raised concerns with me about the Wrexham-Whitchurch road and it’s something I have taken up with Wrexham Council a number of times in recent years,” said Mr Skates.

“This Welsh Government funding will go a long way to making this stretch of the A525 safer, which I’m sure will be welcomed by local people.”

Another £41,593 has been allocated to Wrexham for other road safety initiatives.

Mr Skates also welcomed the active travel funding and urged local authorities to seize the opportunity to develop further schemes which encourage more people to walk and cycle for everyday journeys.

He added: “I want us to work together transform travel habits both locally and across Wales – this is an opportunity for long-term changes which both protect our environment and benefit our health as a nation.”