The ambition to develop an Active Travel network for pedestrians and cyclists in Newtown, which takes advantage of the opportunity that the Newtown bypass will create for the town, was raised with the First Minister last week by local AM, Russell George.
The Montgomeryshire Assembly Member raised the issue directly with the First Minister at weekly questions in the Senedd (13th June 2017) after Powys County Council were unsuccessful in a bid for funding to expand and improve the existing Active Travel Network in the county.
The Active Travel Act came into law in Wales in 2014 and places a legal duty on all local authorities in Wales to consult with local communities and develop a safe network for walking and cycling.
The Powys County Council proposals sought to develop an Active Travel Network which would see improved accessibility to services within Newtown through an improved public transport infrastructure.
Among the main proposals of the Newtown Active Travel Bid were a shared use pedestrian and cycle route along Llanidloes Road to Dolfor Junction; a link path from Treowen housing estate to the train station; improvements in pedestrian and cycle links between the railway station, town centre and the bus station; and the construction of a cycle and pedestrian bridge across the river Severn which presents one of the main barriers to walking and cycling in Newtown.
Speaking after First Minister's Questions, Mr George said:
"I agree with Powys County Council that the development of a meaningful Active Travel network for Newtown is a once in a generation opportunity which would take advantage of the opportunities which the Newtown bypass will ultimately provide to both Newtown and Montgomeryshire.
"I was disappointed that Powys County Council were unsuccessful in their bid for funding, especially given that support for the development of the network is growing and new partnerships are being formed between Powys County Counciland the Town Council to work towards a common vision."
The ambition is to see an improvement in the walking and cycling links between the railway station, town centre and the bus station as well as links between schools and colleges, housing areas in Newtown and the retail estates towards the east of the town.
Newtown North County Councillor, Cllr Daniel Rowlands added:
"The development of the bypass could be a springboard for the wider regeneration of Newtown so it is disappointing that the Welsh Government were unable to support the application for funding through the Local Transport Fund.
"Nevertheless, I was pleased to hear the First Minister confirm to our AM that he will look at allocating some in-year funds to the Powys active travel bid for Newtown.
"Mr George added that he will be keeping up the pressure on the Welsh Government to ensure that this ambitious project is afforded the necessary funding which will mean that this project becomes a reality."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
First Minister's Question - 13/06/17
An Active Travel Network in Montgomeryshire
Russell George
2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the development of an active travel network in Montgomeryshire?
Carwyn Jones
Well, the first stage of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 has been completed, and a number of active travel routes have been identified in Montgomeryshire.
Russell George
Thank you, First Minister. I’m sure you will agree that the Newtown bypass will provide an opportunity to develop a meaningful active travel network for Newtown. Regrettably, Powys County Council were recently unsuccessful in securing funding from the local transport fund, which would have gone some way to securing the town’s aspirations to be an active travel town. Now, I understand the bid was supported as a project, but not funded. So, could I ask you, First Minister, to ask officials to take a fresh look at this bid, with a view to funding the scheme if additional funding can be made available?
Carwyn Jones
Well, I understand Powys will be launching the new Llanfyllin Safe Routes in Communities facility on Friday. That was made possible through allocated funding from the Welsh Government—an example of that funding being made available to Powys. The two Powys local transport fund schemes are at the top of our reserve list for 2017-18, as part of our wider work associated with the Newtown bypass, and we are looking at options to see how we could allocate some in-year funds to the Powys active travel bid for Newtown.