Government to give Warrington £121million to ‘transform’ transport

Millions of people in the north west will benefit from better public transport, reduced congestion and upgraded bus and train stations, the Government says.

This is from the reallocation of funding from HS2 to ‘revolutionise transport, drive economic growth and transform communities’.

Today, Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper have confirmed that the north west will receive a £1.48billion boost from April 2025.

Of this, Warrington is set to receive £121,251,000 through the Local Transport Fund to improve the transport connections that people rely on.

The new investment, announced as part of Network North, will deliver an ‘unprecedented’ long-term funding uplift across the region over seven years, the announcement says.

The Prime Minister is expected to call on ministers and MPs today to hold councils to account to ensure the funding is used appropriately, and that the voices of local communities are heard when decisions are made on where this funding goes and how this funding is spent.

This funding prioritises the forms of transport that matter most to people and will deliver for future generations – driving jobs, growing the economy, and levelling up the country, the Government says.

Mr Sunak said: “We have a clear plan to level up our country with greater transport links that people need and deliver the right long-term change for a brighter future.

“Through reallocating HS2 funding, we are not only investing nearly £1.5billion directly back into smaller cities, towns, and rural areas across the north west, but we are also empowering local leaders to invest in the transport projects that matters most to them – this is levelling up in action.

“The Local Transport Fund will deliver a new era of transport connectivity.

“This unprecedented investment will benefit more people, in more places, more quickly than HS2 ever would have done, and comes alongside the billions of pounds of funding we have already invested into our roads, buses and local transport services across the country.”

Government to give Warrington £121million to 'transform' transport

The funding will be made available from 2025 to give Warrington Borough Council enough time to develop funding plans and prepare to hit the ground running to start delivering them as early as possible.

It can fund building new roads and improving junctions, installing or expanding mass transit systems, filling in potholes and improving street lighting and tackling congestion.

Other areas include increasing the number of electric vehicle charging points, refurbishing bus and rail stations and helping to improve safety for children walking to school.

The council will be expected to publish its delivery plans for which projects it wishes to invest in.

The Transport Secretary added: “Today’s £1.48billion investment is truly game-changing for the smaller cities, towns, and rural communities across the north west.

“It is only possible because this Government has a plan to improve local transport and is willing to take tough decisions like reallocating funding from the second phase of HS2.

“This new funding boost will make a real difference to millions of people in the north west, empowering local authorities to drive economic growth, transform communities and improve the daily transport connections that people rely on for years to come.”

However, Henri Murison, chief executive of business group Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has said the Government's transport funding plans are simply a re-announcement.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: “I am still kind of happy to receive this money in place of nothing, but it is also coming alongside the fact that many of these same communities will not benefit from HS2.

“We still have not got enough clarity on Northern Powerhouse Rail, which is still a very important and fundamental part of the north’s transport system.

“We have not got the clarity out of the route that was supposed to be announced imminently.”