Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes MP, today raised the issue of the Welsh Labour Government’s funding of the Newbridge Road repairs and asked the Prime Minister to comment on how the next phase of Levelling Up Funding will bring hope and prosperity to communities in Clwyd South and elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Mr Baynes also added that: “In Clwyd South, the Welsh Government has been dragging its feet on funding urgent repairs to the Newbridge Road while, in contrast, the Prime Minister and his government have delivered record Levelling Up Fund investment of £13.3m along the Dee Valley from the Trevor Basin to Llangollen and Chirk and on to Corwen.”
With regard to the Newbridge Road, vital infrastructure was damaged in February 2021 due to flooding on the B5605 between Newbridge and Cefn as a result of a landslide. This severed the link between the two communities and the wider settlement areas of Chirk, Plas Madoc and Ruabon. After a long delay, the Welsh Government has recently confirmed funding of £175,000 to make technical studies with regard to repairing the extensive damage caused.
The successful Clwyd South Levelling Up bid was sponsored by Simon Baynes MP and is a cross-county project, developed by Wrexham County Borough Council and Denbighshire County Council. It consists of three projects: firstly, the implementation of the Trevor Basin Technical Masterplan which will ensure the World Heritage Site realises its full potential on a national and international level to attract visitors and catalyse economic growth in neighbouring communities.
The second project is mainly focused in Denbighshire and supports cross-border visitor connectivity in the Dee Valley at the Horseshoe Falls, The Four Great Highways and Plas Newydd in Llangollen; Wenffrwd to Llangollen Active Travel Corridor including the old Railway Line and Chirk.
The third project will focus on the Corwen area, creating a new and improved Western Gateway to the Dee Valley and World Heritage Site. This project will improve visitor connectivity and infrastructure, Corwen town centre assets and the area between the railway station and car park, including a new platform canopy. It will also enhance the visitor experience with onward linkage to Llangollen and Cynwyd, effectively creating a new, improved and complementary visitor entry point to the World Heritage Site.
In response to Mr Baynes’ question, the Prime Minister said:
“I thank my hon. Friend very much and what pleasure it gives me to address the Member for Clwyd South, where I tried unsuccessfully so many years ago. And I’m delighted that a Conservative Government is now investing so massively in Levelling Up in Clwyd South and across the whole of Wales.”
Speaking later, Simon Baynes MP said:
“I was very pleased to highlight the issue of the urgently needed Newbridge Road repairs and the Levelling Up Fund investment of £13.3m in Clwyd South. I recently visited the landslip on the Newbridge Road where I saw first-hand the damage that has been caused on the road and where I used the opportunity to call on the Welsh Government to urgently conduct essential repairs. It is astonishing that the Welsh Government has taken so long - almost a year - to react and there can be no further delays on their part in making sure these repairs are done as fast as possible.
“I was also very glad to highlight in PMQs the investment by the UK Conservative Government in Clwyd South via the Levelling Up Fund which will not only provide jobs and a much needed economic boost to Clwyd South but also improve the well-being of our residents by widening access to recreation, outdoor and other amenity activities. They will also celebrate the amazing history, language and culture of our part of Wales and bring them to a wider audience.”
