Merthyr Council apply for £24m Welsh Government funding

A REPORT to Merthyr Tydfil Council cabinet for Wednesday, (February 24) shows that the council has applied for £24.36m worth of funding from the Local Transport Fund, Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Transformational Fund, Resilient Roads Fund, and the Active Travel Fund.

The report said the purpose of the Welsh Government’s transport funding is to enable councils to develop integrated, effective, accessible, affordable, and sustainable transport systems.

For local schemes, the council has bid for £375,000 for the completion of the new bus station in Merthyr Tydfil town centre.

The funding will cover the outstanding elements of construction as well as the contractor retention sum.

The Council has also bid for £920,000 from the Resilient Roads Fund.

This will enable the council to continue delivering projects that mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, including addressing disruptions caused on the highway network by severe weather.

The proposed schemes focus on drainage improvements to Merthyr Tydfil’s highway network.

And the council has also bid for £2.27m from the Active Travel Fund 2020/21 for core active travel work, including scheme development, minor scheme improvements and review of the integrated network maps.

The main scheme priority will be to continue the development and commence the delivery of a network of walking and cycling routes focussed in and around the town centre whilst other development work will look at a potential link from the Taff Trail to Bike Park Wales, as well as upgrading opportunities on the Trevithick Trail.

In terms of regional projects, a further £9.98m has been bid on behalf of the Cardiff Capital Region Transport Authority’s (CCRTA) Metro Plus Programme, which this council currently manages.

This is for the development and design of regional transport projects aligned to the Welsh Government’s current investment in the Core Valleys Lines rail system, with local schemes focussed on opportunities at Merthyr Tydfil Railway Station and Pentrebach Railway Park and Ride Station.

A bid for £10.81m was also submitted on behalf of the CCRTA to the UltraLow Emission Vehicle (ULEV) Transformation Fund.

This will continue the delivery of the regional programme of investment in low emission vehicle projects, with Merthyr Tydfil Council facilitating and managing the finances.

The fund enables councils to develop and deliver schemes that support the Welsh Government’s target of zero emissions from taxis and private hire vehicles by 2028.

The bid for 2021/22 covers the ongoing project to introduce low emission vehicle infrastructure for taxis, new projects to introduce bus, transport hub and public use low emission vehicle infrastructure, a project to develop the business case for investment in low emission buses and the development of taxi incentives to assist operators in updating their fleets.