£55m for healthy travel
A £55M Welsh Government funding package for councils will be used to encourage people to take up healthier travel for short local journeys.
Funding for healthy travel has significantly increased over the past couple of years – starting from only £5m in 2016.
Local councils will also be able to use the funding for small-scale schemes like upgrading narrow routes that have become overcrowded, or removing barriers that block wheelchairs or cycle trailer, as well as for the planning of bigger and more complex schemes.
They are also encouraged to work together in order to better connect places that may happen to lie in different council areas.
Ogmore MS Huw Irranca-Davies, who is also chair of the CrossParty Active Travel Group, welcomed the extra funding saying: “For someone who is very passionate about the idea of healthy and sustainable travel, it is great to see that the Welsh Government is continuing to support active travel and is taking considerable steps to promote this in our communities.”
In July 2020, Bridgend County Borough has received a total of £3m in grants for active travel schemes from the Welsh Government.
This funding has been allocated to the creation of two off-road routes for cyclists and pedestrians, and upgrade of an existing crossing point as well as the implementation of a new active travel route.
A further £620,000 was made available earlier in June to establish temporary and permanent active travel routes.
The Welsh Government is encouraging councils to be ambitious with the funding, and to reach out to people in order to get them to swap their cars to bicycles and walk for shorter journeys.